The Influential Product Manager

This book is a comprehensive and practical guide to the core skills, activities, and behaviors that are required of product managers in modern technology companies. Product management is one of the fastest growing and most sought-after roles by both job-seekers and companies alike. The availability of trained and experienced product manager talent can barely keep up with the accelerating demand for new and improved technology products. Furthermore, the industry is standardizing what an effective product manager does, which makes it crucial for all product managers to learn and put into practice skills that are transferable across a wide range of organizations. After an initial introduction to the role and responsibilities of the product manager, the book maps to the product life cycle-starting with the PM's role in ideation and prioritization through requirement gathering and validation, building the product, and measuring success. People skills are also highlighted because technical and process knowledge is not enough. The final chapter focuses on interpersonal skills and the importance of leading through influence.