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The Product Book: How to Become a Great Product Manager
"No one asked you to show up." Every experienced product manager has heard some version of those words at some point in their career. Think about a company. Engineers build the product. Designers make sure it has a great user experience and looks good. Marketing makes sure customers know about the product. Sales get potential customers to open their wallets to buy the product. What more does a company need? What does a product manager do? Based upon Product School’s curriculum, which has helped thousands of students become great product managers, The Product Book answers that question. Filled with practical advice, best practices, and expert tips, this book is here to help you succeed! Product School offers product management classes taught by real-world product managers, working at renowned tech companies like Google, Facebook, Snapchat, Airbnb, LinkedIn, PayPal, Netflix and more. The classes are designed to fit into your work schedule, and the campuses are conveniently located in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2017
1860 people are currently reading
4350 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
December 17, 2018
A darn near perfect book on product management give step by step on how to implement world-changing-idea into a product and execute it to the market. I am specifically expected to learn how to launch and the framework that provided in this book is exactly what I’m looking for. No non sense and bullsh*. Plain informative and easy to follow/understand stuff. Although the lessons are from the high end people from Google, Facebook, Netflix etc., so the adaptation frameworks here are most likely for those formal startups and companies that has proper teams eg engineer, sales, marketing, product, but for those indie startups that you do everything on your own, you need to also learn to do product management the indie way. This book only tell you a great steps but not the hacking. All in all it’s a great book and I highly recommend.
August 22, 2021
Книга на тверду «четвірку». Загально покрито все чим займається продакт від постановки бачення і кастомер девелопменту до роботи з дизайнерами і девами. Зрозуміло, шо детально розглянути всі методи роботи по кожному пункту вартує окремої книги.
Раджу розглянути книгу більше як стартову точку, шоб зрозуміти які речі треба покрити під час роботи.
Раджу розглянути книгу більше як стартову точку, шоб зрозуміти які речі треба покрити під час роботи.
December 2, 2022
The book captures the complete journey that takes place while building the product.
Describes a lot of key examples based on real situations, which can be used in day-to-day activities of PM.
It is great for ppl who are planning to start as a PMs or for those one who would want to gain additional knowledge.
Describes a lot of key examples based on real situations, which can be used in day-to-day activities of PM.
It is great for ppl who are planning to start as a PMs or for those one who would want to gain additional knowledge.
April 28, 2023
Ця книга це чудовий, легкий і не перевантажений огляд і вступ в основи управління продуктами.
Книга без «води», з купою класних прикладів, описує кожен аспект роботи «продакт менеджера» (правда дуже поверхнево) починаючи від стратегічного планування і закінчуючи випуском продукту на ринок.
Книга не дуже підійде людям, які працюють в цій галузі або вже трохи цікавилися цією темою.
Але вона точно зайде всім то хоче перейти в цю галузь або цікавиться загалом професіями в IT (наприклад, вона буде супер для студентів).
Книга без «води», з купою класних прикладів, описує кожен аспект роботи «продакт менеджера» (правда дуже поверхнево) починаючи від стратегічного планування і закінчуючи випуском продукту на ринок.
Книга не дуже підійде людям, які працюють в цій галузі або вже трохи цікавилися цією темою.
Але вона точно зайде всім то хоче перейти в цю галузь або цікавиться загалом професіями в IT (наприклад, вона буде супер для студентів).
February 6, 2021
Published by Product School, this is a book that focuses on a lot of basic actionable throughout and as PMs getting the basic stuff figured is what is the most important. Will come in very handy if you are planning on moving to the Product Management role.
July 26, 2023
This book serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking to enhance their product management knowledge. By incorporating more interactivity, updated industry insights, and additional resources, the book can continue to support aspiring product managers in their journey towards excellence.
June 28, 2022
برای آشنایی با مبانی مدیریت محصول حتما به کسی که علاقه داشته باشه در این حوزه مطالعه کنه پیشنهادش میدم. زبانش هم خیلی روان و قابل فهم بود.
January 21, 2020
If don't know what a product manager is, this is your book. If don't know what a product manager isn't, this is your book. If you don't know how a product manager does her/his job, this is your book. If you don't know how a product manager has to deal with other roles in any and all of the steps of concept, development, and launching of a product, this is your book. If you don't like just conceptual books and need good examples to understand the theory, this is your book. If you don't believe in just one point of view of a subject and ask for professional perspectives, this is your book.
The Product Book brings the seal of the Product School, and it doesn't just clarify about the role, but works as a guide for product managers, newbies or experienced ones.
The Product Book brings the seal of the Product School, and it doesn't just clarify about the role, but works as a guide for product managers, newbies or experienced ones.
May 31, 2023
The overall approach described here is OK and is basically how a lot of (tech) companies already work. Even though it's the first thing I read about product management I already knew most of this stuff just from working in tech (as a developer, not a PM), so it doesn't go very deep.
I don't know if this is just this book or product management in general, but the book is very thin on evidence / data. Most of the references are blog posts or anecdotes by random tech people who worked for a bunch of big companies. Hardly any statistics, and zero papers. I'm sure there must be some business studies people who study this in a more structured way?
Finally, the book has quite a lot of MBA cliches, and unnecessary examples to illustrate the obvious, which also annoyed me a bit
I don't know if this is just this book or product management in general, but the book is very thin on evidence / data. Most of the references are blog posts or anecdotes by random tech people who worked for a bunch of big companies. Hardly any statistics, and zero papers. I'm sure there must be some business studies people who study this in a more structured way?
Finally, the book has quite a lot of MBA cliches, and unnecessary examples to illustrate the obvious, which also annoyed me a bit
October 27, 2018
Well, the book is mostly good for those who are newcomers in product management, but even for those who have experience its just quick read book (took 6 hours to complete) to recall all the processes and know-how things! The book tells how the PMs should work with UX and development teams and put an emphasis on the fact that even though PMs are not supposed to do sketches or write code but still its better for PM to have a domain knowledge and expertise.
I would like to see more examples of real products from big companies.
I would like to see more examples of real products from big companies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2025
The Product Book es una excelente opción para quienes buscan comprender los fundamentos de la gestión de productos. Para mí, el contenido se estructura en tres grandes temas:
- Primero, entrega insights muy claros respecto al rol del Product Manager, destacando la importancia de comprender y alinear la gestión de los productos a la estrategia y los objetivos de la organización.
- Luego, ofrece una guía clara sobre cómo identificar oportunidades, convertirlas en hipótesis, validarlas y pasar de la idea a la acción en un entorno de trabajo colaborativo.
- Por último, aborda el lanzamiento del producto al mercado y el cierre, cubriendo así todo el ciclo de vida del producto.
Me gustó mucho porque combina la teoría con ejemplos práctivos (caso Moover) y creo que el incluir consejos de cracks de producto en cada capítulo aporta muchas ideas de prácticas que se pueden ir aplicando.
Si bien para perfiles más senior podría resultar básico, lo recomendaría mucho a quienes tienen menos experiencia porque ofrece una visión clara, accesible y muy práctica del Product Management.
- Primero, entrega insights muy claros respecto al rol del Product Manager, destacando la importancia de comprender y alinear la gestión de los productos a la estrategia y los objetivos de la organización.
- Luego, ofrece una guía clara sobre cómo identificar oportunidades, convertirlas en hipótesis, validarlas y pasar de la idea a la acción en un entorno de trabajo colaborativo.
- Por último, aborda el lanzamiento del producto al mercado y el cierre, cubriendo así todo el ciclo de vida del producto.
Me gustó mucho porque combina la teoría con ejemplos práctivos (caso Moover) y creo que el incluir consejos de cracks de producto en cada capítulo aporta muchas ideas de prácticas que se pueden ir aplicando.
Si bien para perfiles más senior podría resultar básico, lo recomendaría mucho a quienes tienen menos experiencia porque ofrece una visión clara, accesible y muy práctica del Product Management.
December 30, 2020
Out of all the books that Product School, this one is the best, all others don't come anywhere near the value add that this one book provides.
The books deals with every aspect of digital product manager in one stretch end to end.
There is a lot of value add.
It captures the complete journey that takes place while building the product. Of course this book isn't the end all for product management but it is a very good place to begin.
As opposed to reading tons of product management books and collecting pieces from 10 - 20 different books, this one book acts as a curated reference guide.
The books deals with every aspect of digital product manager in one stretch end to end.
There is a lot of value add.
It captures the complete journey that takes place while building the product. Of course this book isn't the end all for product management but it is a very good place to begin.
As opposed to reading tons of product management books and collecting pieces from 10 - 20 different books, this one book acts as a curated reference guide.
April 3, 2022
This give me a pretty good idea about what does PM do, what their responsibilities are, how they represent the customers, how to resolve conflicts with other team members? It broke a lot of myths about PM such as oh they only create PPTs, they only set up meetings. Beyond that also explained the product development cycle in great detail and the role of PM in each phase. It explained in great detail about the phases in PDC where PM is directly responsible such as
- Strategically understanding the company
- Creating an opportunity hypothesis
- Validating your hypothesis
- Strategically understanding the company
- Creating an opportunity hypothesis
- Validating your hypothesis
September 30, 2021
Thanks to the Product School team for publishing this book. The book added valuable insights, reasoning with examples that touched almost all aspects required in a Product Management role. Start with this book if you're kickstarting your PM journey or aspiring to get into Product Management. Also, remember that a typical PM might not be able to implement or get involved in many of the mentioned aspects in their job.
July 15, 2022
Great PM guide with lot of key practical take aways which can be used in day to day activities of PM across multiple types of organisations. Clearly lays out the entire product cycle in 8 major processes in each of the chapters, which helps in ensuring you build products that customers really use and love.
Validate and Execute chapters can be used as reference for setting up metrics and analytics, feature audits, etc. which for me has more practical applicability. Chapter tips and references from key product personnel and literature helps in better understanding of the customers life cycle!
Validate and Execute chapters can be used as reference for setting up metrics and analytics, feature audits, etc. which for me has more practical applicability. Chapter tips and references from key product personnel and literature helps in better understanding of the customers life cycle!
August 20, 2022
Very good overview of full product management cycle. While some books like Inspired could be beneficial for both PMs, designers, UX or other roles, the Product Book is focused on PMs. Good book recommendations inside touching some topics just on the basics, but providing a good path where to get that knowledge further.
December 30, 2022
Fantastic! While this is not an in-depth guide to product management, it is definitely a great place to start. The entire product lifecycle has been captured and briefed enough to make you understand and get you sufficiently curious. The book also offers a lot of touch points to pick up for further reading. All in all, a superb book for every PM and non PM alike.
April 21, 2024
A great resource for product managers, especially those at the beginning of their careers — well structured and gives plenty of actionable advice. Also good to have as a desk reference for more experienced PMs, as a reminder guide!
May 9, 2021
Although filled with common sense, it's a very nice and thorough book. Also, it's free, so I won't complain too much. 3 stars.
January 2, 2021
That book had been waiting in my reading list for a while. At the time I got to read it, I had been working as a software engineer professionally for a decade, so I had the chance to collaborate closely with many product managers. I decided to read it to get an idea of what their work looks like in a bit more detail and see if there are ways I can make their life easier. This books was exactly what I was looking for, it goes through the various phases of building a product - from identifying the right opportunities to hypothesis validation and working with the various teams to build & launch product as well as evaluate its success and next iteration steps. For people with extensive experience on product management, this book will probably not have much insight to offer. But, it's a nice and easy reading for someone looking for an introduction to the field.
There were only a few small details I disagreed with (warning - spoilers),but overall I really enjoyed reading it:
- When talking about collaboration between a product manager and the engineering team, the author recommends that the product manager should be a bit more proactive when the engineering team consists of mostly junior engineers and provide advice on areas, such as testing. I am not sure this is a recommendation I would support, since I believe software engineers should be mentored and guided by someone with experience on the field although I appreciate the author's sentiment.
- When talking about agile methods, the author implies that following Scrum ties a team to a release schedule that is aligned with the end of the sprint. However, this is not necessarily true. I have worked in several teams in the past, where we were following Scrum and Continuous Delivery at the same time, deploying new software when it was ready and I can say we did it without any issues at all.
- At some point the author says that "adhering to a lean methodology means minimal testing is done for a product/feature". That's also something I wouldn't support. Lean is all about minimising work that does not provide a lot of value, it's not about doing sloppy work. That might look pedantic, but it can make a big difference to the culture of a team and the quality of a product.
There were only a few small details I disagreed with (warning - spoilers),but overall I really enjoyed reading it:
- When talking about collaboration between a product manager and the engineering team, the author recommends that the product manager should be a bit more proactive when the engineering team consists of mostly junior engineers and provide advice on areas, such as testing. I am not sure this is a recommendation I would support, since I believe software engineers should be mentored and guided by someone with experience on the field although I appreciate the author's sentiment.
- When talking about agile methods, the author implies that following Scrum ties a team to a release schedule that is aligned with the end of the sprint. However, this is not necessarily true. I have worked in several teams in the past, where we were following Scrum and Continuous Delivery at the same time, deploying new software when it was ready and I can say we did it without any issues at all.
- At some point the author says that "adhering to a lean methodology means minimal testing is done for a product/feature". That's also something I wouldn't support. Lean is all about minimising work that does not provide a lot of value, it's not about doing sloppy work. That might look pedantic, but it can make a big difference to the culture of a team and the quality of a product.
March 12, 2020
I read this when it came out after going to several Product School events in San Francisco. It's a nice introduction to the world of product management for those who are new to it. It's informative, but not necessarily practical.
Product management isn't a brand new field (retail companies have had product and product portfolio managers for a long time), but this book was on trend for when software product management became a fast-growing and well-paid discipline in the US. It's good, but I wouldn't call it a classic as the field evolves so fast and it's hard to keep up.
My version felt a bit repetitive, had some spelling mistakes and contained some strange claims that distance PMs from the people they're supposed to work with and reinforce stereotypes. To paraphrase, engineers are almost seen as a kind of a curiosity and necessary evil to projects.
Product management isn't a brand new field (retail companies have had product and product portfolio managers for a long time), but this book was on trend for when software product management became a fast-growing and well-paid discipline in the US. It's good, but I wouldn't call it a classic as the field evolves so fast and it's hard to keep up.
My version felt a bit repetitive, had some spelling mistakes and contained some strange claims that distance PMs from the people they're supposed to work with and reinforce stereotypes. To paraphrase, engineers are almost seen as a kind of a curiosity and necessary evil to projects.
March 10, 2020
This book is envisioned as a comprehensive overview of a product management role and what that role entails. It is written for the students without any prior knowledge of it and as such is geared more towards brief explanations and practical examples. It does not dwell into alternatives or difficult problems and is filled with gems like:
Engineering is hard, and every product needs engineers. Given that, their skills are incredibly in demand and talented engineers are worth their weight in gold!
Worthwile as a starting point for further research.
Engineering is hard, and every product needs engineers. Given that, their skills are incredibly in demand and talented engineers are worth their weight in gold!
Worthwile as a starting point for further research.
July 20, 2018
This is a good option for anyone wants to become a Product Manager. This book has great examples to work with developer's team, Design, stakeholders, marketing and many more.
With basic and medium/advanced examples to planning a Product development lifecycle, Product metrics and launch the first version of your product or a new feature.
If you want to learn about Product Management, I'd recommend this book for you.
With basic and medium/advanced examples to planning a Product development lifecycle, Product metrics and launch the first version of your product or a new feature.
If you want to learn about Product Management, I'd recommend this book for you.
May 13, 2021
It is very good for people who want to know about product management, but know nothing. But it's not for those who have some experience on the subject. Though it goes through all the important topics, it is not the most pleasant book to read on the matter
February 25, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this amazing book...
It was not easy, this is my first technical book, but it was enjoyable.
It was not easy, this is my first technical book, but it was enjoyable.
January 1, 2023
Amazing content considering it's free. A little editing will push it to the next level. Even suggestions from a few dedicated readers will improve this MVP and squash a few bugs.
June 21, 2025
Reseño la edición en español, que está a libre disposición en la web de Product School aunque no esté aquí en GoodReads.
Buscaba un libro para entender la figura del PM después de años trabajando con POs y PMs (que en realidad eran POs renombrados o los jefes de los POs) sin que me encajase mucho mi realidad con lo que leía en los artículos o escuchaba en las charlas del mundillo.
Me costó decidirme por qué libro empezar ya que no quería ni teoría pura, ni un listado de obviedades y cosas de sentido común exquisitamente narradas, ni que me vendieran otro marco de trabajo.
No sé si hay libros mejores porque no he leído otros (aún) pero este ha cumplido por completo con mis expectativas particulares y por eso le doy 5 estrellas.
Cubre todo el ciclo de vida del producto (estrategia, descubrimiento, diseño, implementación, lanzamiento y posterior) de manera muy estructurada, y en cada fase explica el papel del PM y como debería ser su interacción con los diferentes actores involucrados. Pero no se limita a un vistazo teórico sino que explica prácticas concretas: personas, hipótesis de oportunidad (que yo conozco como épicas bien redactadas), priorización ICE y RICE, MVP, A/B testing, KPIs, value proposition canvas, Sprints de diseño... evidentemente no al detalle pero si a un nivel usable y con consejos de "famosillos" y referencias para saber cómo ahondar más si lo necesitamos.
Me gusta que no es un libro para complacer a todo el mundo. Está centrado en productos tecnológicos. Te dice que para ser un buen PM deberías tener conocimientos técnicos y te recomienda hacer un bootcamp si no los tienes, de igual manera que te dice que es indispensable ser un buen comunicador. Cuando te habla de los marcos de trabajo de los ingenieros te dice claramente que en Agile como PM tendrás mucho más trabajo que en cascada, y con Kanban más aún.
Por deformación profesional me resulta muy curioso que se hable de Agile, Scrum y Kanban pero no se mencione la figura del Scrum Master, Agile Coach o similar como otro actor con el que interactuar. Pero claro es que el libro al explicarte como ser un buen PM ya te dice lo que el Agile Coach te diría (equipos empoderados, liderazgo servil etc.), incluso comenta que si tus ingenieros son Junior te costará más trabajo (a ti PM) hacer que el marco de trabajo funcione, es decir que tú eres el coach cuando el equipo no sea maduro para funcionar en Agile por si mismo. Realmente este debería ser el camino, y supongo que será la realidad en algunas empresas, de mi lado lo que puedo decir es que ojalá más PMs se leyeran libros como este.
Buscaba un libro para entender la figura del PM después de años trabajando con POs y PMs (que en realidad eran POs renombrados o los jefes de los POs) sin que me encajase mucho mi realidad con lo que leía en los artículos o escuchaba en las charlas del mundillo.
Me costó decidirme por qué libro empezar ya que no quería ni teoría pura, ni un listado de obviedades y cosas de sentido común exquisitamente narradas, ni que me vendieran otro marco de trabajo.
No sé si hay libros mejores porque no he leído otros (aún) pero este ha cumplido por completo con mis expectativas particulares y por eso le doy 5 estrellas.
Cubre todo el ciclo de vida del producto (estrategia, descubrimiento, diseño, implementación, lanzamiento y posterior) de manera muy estructurada, y en cada fase explica el papel del PM y como debería ser su interacción con los diferentes actores involucrados. Pero no se limita a un vistazo teórico sino que explica prácticas concretas: personas, hipótesis de oportunidad (que yo conozco como épicas bien redactadas), priorización ICE y RICE, MVP, A/B testing, KPIs, value proposition canvas, Sprints de diseño... evidentemente no al detalle pero si a un nivel usable y con consejos de "famosillos" y referencias para saber cómo ahondar más si lo necesitamos.
Me gusta que no es un libro para complacer a todo el mundo. Está centrado en productos tecnológicos. Te dice que para ser un buen PM deberías tener conocimientos técnicos y te recomienda hacer un bootcamp si no los tienes, de igual manera que te dice que es indispensable ser un buen comunicador. Cuando te habla de los marcos de trabajo de los ingenieros te dice claramente que en Agile como PM tendrás mucho más trabajo que en cascada, y con Kanban más aún.
Por deformación profesional me resulta muy curioso que se hable de Agile, Scrum y Kanban pero no se mencione la figura del Scrum Master, Agile Coach o similar como otro actor con el que interactuar. Pero claro es que el libro al explicarte como ser un buen PM ya te dice lo que el Agile Coach te diría (equipos empoderados, liderazgo servil etc.), incluso comenta que si tus ingenieros son Junior te costará más trabajo (a ti PM) hacer que el marco de trabajo funcione, es decir que tú eres el coach cuando el equipo no sea maduro para funcionar en Agile por si mismo. Realmente este debería ser el camino, y supongo que será la realidad en algunas empresas, de mi lado lo que puedo decir es que ojalá más PMs se leyeran libros como este.
March 2, 2021
Digital Marketing Strategy: An Integrated Approach to Online Marketing 2nd Edition,
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Ranging from social media, SEO, content marketing and user experience, to customer loyalty, automation and personalization, this edition features cutting edge updates on marketing automation, messaging and email, online and offline integration, the power of technologies such as AI, plus new data protection and privacy strategies. Accompanied by downloadable templates and resources, Digital Marketing Strategy is an ideal road map for any marketer to streamline a digital marketing strategy for measurable, optimized results. Online resources include practical implementation guides spanning SEO, paid-search, email, lead-generation and more, as well as group activities, which will be regularly updated to equip readers as digital marketing continues to evolve. more details ............. new oder
https://amzn.to/2MG09et
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Effectively select, align and manage digital channels and operations using this second edition of the bestselling guide, Digital Marketing Strategy. This accessible, step-by-step framework enables the planning, integration and measurement of each digital platform and technique, all tailored to achieve overarching business objectives.
Ranging from social media, SEO, content marketing and user experience, to customer loyalty, automation and personalization, this edition features cutting edge updates on marketing automation, messaging and email, online and offline integration, the power of technologies such as AI, plus new data protection and privacy strategies. Accompanied by downloadable templates and resources, Digital Marketing Strategy is an ideal road map for any marketer to streamline a digital marketing strategy for measurable, optimized results. Online resources include practical implementation guides spanning SEO, paid-search, email, lead-generation and more, as well as group activities, which will be regularly updated to equip readers as digital marketing continues to evolve. more details ............. new oder
https://amzn.to/2MG09et
[image error]November 22, 2023
This book, in essence, feels like an extensive glossary of acronyms and terminology related to product management. If the mark of a good book in this field is the inclusion of every possible acronym, then this book certainly ticks that box. However, beyond its comprehensive coverage of jargon, I find it lacking in real substance.
To put it plainly, this book is akin to a veneer guide to being a product manager. It's perfect for anyone looking to simulate the role of a product manager in a setting like the TV show "Silicon Valley." It provides the external appearance, the lingo, the mannerisms – all the surface elements that one might associate with the role. However, when it comes to the core – the practical, tangible aspects of being a product manager in the varied and often complex environments of small to large companies – this book falls short.
In its pages, you'll find a lot of form – the kind of content that might make you feel like you're on the right path. But for those seeking guidance on the pragmatic, day-to-day responsibilities and challenges of product management, this book may prove to be more decorative than functional. It's suitable for those who want the sensation of doing something right in product management without necessarily gaining the insights or tools needed for actual progress in the field.
In summary, if your goal is to gain a superficial understanding of product management language and appearance, this book will serve you well. But for those who are earnestly seeking to delve into the substantive aspects of product management, to understand and tackle the real challenges of the role across different company sizes and dynamics, I would advise looking elsewhere. This book, in my view, is better suited as a prop rather than a practical guide.
To put it plainly, this book is akin to a veneer guide to being a product manager. It's perfect for anyone looking to simulate the role of a product manager in a setting like the TV show "Silicon Valley." It provides the external appearance, the lingo, the mannerisms – all the surface elements that one might associate with the role. However, when it comes to the core – the practical, tangible aspects of being a product manager in the varied and often complex environments of small to large companies – this book falls short.
In its pages, you'll find a lot of form – the kind of content that might make you feel like you're on the right path. But for those seeking guidance on the pragmatic, day-to-day responsibilities and challenges of product management, this book may prove to be more decorative than functional. It's suitable for those who want the sensation of doing something right in product management without necessarily gaining the insights or tools needed for actual progress in the field.
In summary, if your goal is to gain a superficial understanding of product management language and appearance, this book will serve you well. But for those who are earnestly seeking to delve into the substantive aspects of product management, to understand and tackle the real challenges of the role across different company sizes and dynamics, I would advise looking elsewhere. This book, in my view, is better suited as a prop rather than a practical guide.
May 10, 2024
This book is really, really hard to rate. If you rate it on a scale of usefulness, this thing is a 5. As a person new to product management after 20ish years in sales, The Product Book gave me the exact overview of the role that I needed to get going. I can see it being a future reference, too. It covers everything from ideation to the launch celebration party in roughly 200 pages. The authors provided a lot of good illustrative examples and great references to other helpful resources, a few of which I began using on the job.
On a scale of presentation, I give it a 1. Where was the editor? Quality control? Anyone? There are typos, broken paragraphs, and other mistakes ALL OVER the text. One word somehow had a degree symbol added to the middle of it. One figure even had a caption written in Spanish! What the hell happened here? They clearly had issues at the printer’s, too. I think someone forgot to change the toner cartridge because the text becomes really faint and printing lines begin showing up on the chapter pages (which are supposed to be pure black). Even though I thought the content is helpful, the presentation of it is pure amateur hour of the worst kind.
Readability-wise, it’s probably a 3.5. For any text book, I want the writing to be clear and concise. No problems there. I did find The Product Book to be very dense, but not a slog. However, it is very dry. I could take a chapter or two before needing to put it down for a while. This is a book that’s here to talk about product management, and that’s what it’s going to do. There is no angle, there are no entertaining battlefield stories — no sir, we’re talking product management, so buckle up.
All in all, I can say it was a good reference for me. Great content, atrocious proofreading, inoffensive to read. Solid 3 stars.
On a scale of presentation, I give it a 1. Where was the editor? Quality control? Anyone? There are typos, broken paragraphs, and other mistakes ALL OVER the text. One word somehow had a degree symbol added to the middle of it. One figure even had a caption written in Spanish! What the hell happened here? They clearly had issues at the printer’s, too. I think someone forgot to change the toner cartridge because the text becomes really faint and printing lines begin showing up on the chapter pages (which are supposed to be pure black). Even though I thought the content is helpful, the presentation of it is pure amateur hour of the worst kind.
Readability-wise, it’s probably a 3.5. For any text book, I want the writing to be clear and concise. No problems there. I did find The Product Book to be very dense, but not a slog. However, it is very dry. I could take a chapter or two before needing to put it down for a while. This is a book that’s here to talk about product management, and that’s what it’s going to do. There is no angle, there are no entertaining battlefield stories — no sir, we’re talking product management, so buckle up.
All in all, I can say it was a good reference for me. Great content, atrocious proofreading, inoffensive to read. Solid 3 stars.
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