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Economics of Code: Advanced Product Management Series
Product Management is undergoing a revolution. Are you ready?
When software has become cheaper and faster to build than ever before, and as AI is poised to massively disrupt the pace of development even further, Product Managers need to be able to adaptively decide how to deliver value with their teams. Today, that means continuously figuring out what to build and how to build it to get the economic result you want for your product or company. Choices on application stack, programming languages, digital tooling, data custody, and how to effectively leverage what AI has to offer have economic ramifications that today’s Product Managers need to successfully deliver revenue-generating products.
The Economics of Code offers everything today’s PM needs to be ready to innovate, cut costs and drive revenue for tomorrow’s applications.
When software has become cheaper and faster to build than ever before, and as AI is poised to massively disrupt the pace of development even further, Product Managers need to be able to adaptively decide how to deliver value with their teams. Today, that means continuously figuring out what to build and how to build it to get the economic result you want for your product or company. Choices on application stack, programming languages, digital tooling, data custody, and how to effectively leverage what AI has to offer have economic ramifications that today’s Product Managers need to successfully deliver revenue-generating products.
The Economics of Code offers everything today’s PM needs to be ready to innovate, cut costs and drive revenue for tomorrow’s applications.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2023
7 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 22, 2023
Alex Cowan's "Economics of Code" offers a valuable blend of business acumen and tech insights. Aimed at MBAs eyeing a role in digital product management, the book delves into critical aspects of application demand, technology options, and software economics, epitomized by Cowan's unique Function F concept.
From the perspective of someone who has observed the tech sphere evolve, managed large IT programs, and introduced IT to MBA students, this book's thoughtful and balanced approach to deciphering the complex maze of today's technology choices is a very valuable resource. It's a digestible guide that resonates with seasoned technology leaders and tech-savvy MBAs.
Cowan's recurrent use of "cohere" intriguingly underscores a product manager's pivotal role, driving home the importance of team unity in software development. His candid exploration of current and upcoming tech trends, including the impact of generative AI, provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the tech landscape's evolution.
Cowan's Function F is central to the book, a concept that elegantly captures the economics of code. It's a simple yet profound way to measure the trade-off between the cost to create successful user features (numerator), and the successful user features themselves (denominator). This equation clarifies what could be a complex task and offers a way to tangibly measure the value extracted from code and the cost associated with it.
Equally commendable is his second section, where Cowan skillfully deciphers the complex maze of contemporary tech choices, introducing core coding concepts and popular frameworks like MVC, JavaScript, Python, and more.
The book's third section combines all these elements, articulating Cowan's theories through insightful case studies. They encapsulate the theoretical aspects of the book into practical, real-world scenarios, allowing readers to understand the tangible application of Cowan's ideas.
The book is also notable for its exploration of the ever-evolving tech landscape. Cowan discusses the abundant technology options and the complexity of deciding which to include in an application. He also touches on the impending influence of generative AI on software development economics, suggesting a fascinating future direction for the industry.
"Economics of Code" is succinct yet enriching, offering practical insights through real-world case studies. This book is an indispensable guide for anyone aspiring to excel in digital product management.
If you found this review helpful, please click 'Helpful' below. Happy reading!
From the perspective of someone who has observed the tech sphere evolve, managed large IT programs, and introduced IT to MBA students, this book's thoughtful and balanced approach to deciphering the complex maze of today's technology choices is a very valuable resource. It's a digestible guide that resonates with seasoned technology leaders and tech-savvy MBAs.
Cowan's recurrent use of "cohere" intriguingly underscores a product manager's pivotal role, driving home the importance of team unity in software development. His candid exploration of current and upcoming tech trends, including the impact of generative AI, provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the tech landscape's evolution.
Cowan's Function F is central to the book, a concept that elegantly captures the economics of code. It's a simple yet profound way to measure the trade-off between the cost to create successful user features (numerator), and the successful user features themselves (denominator). This equation clarifies what could be a complex task and offers a way to tangibly measure the value extracted from code and the cost associated with it.
Equally commendable is his second section, where Cowan skillfully deciphers the complex maze of contemporary tech choices, introducing core coding concepts and popular frameworks like MVC, JavaScript, Python, and more.
The book's third section combines all these elements, articulating Cowan's theories through insightful case studies. They encapsulate the theoretical aspects of the book into practical, real-world scenarios, allowing readers to understand the tangible application of Cowan's ideas.
The book is also notable for its exploration of the ever-evolving tech landscape. Cowan discusses the abundant technology options and the complexity of deciding which to include in an application. He also touches on the impending influence of generative AI on software development economics, suggesting a fascinating future direction for the industry.
"Economics of Code" is succinct yet enriching, offering practical insights through real-world case studies. This book is an indispensable guide for anyone aspiring to excel in digital product management.
If you found this review helpful, please click 'Helpful' below. Happy reading!
Displaying 1 of 1 review