5 books that changed how I think as a Product Manager
Some of these books would make great gifts; be sure to add a couple to your wish list and maybe even pick one up for a friend.
I have acquired quite a collection of books over the years. They are currently in boxes collecting dust until I finish building the custom bookshelf for my office. Hopefully, I will get some time over the winter holidays to do that.
Lately, though, I’ve had less time to read. Thankfully, audiobooks have helped me keep up with my “reading” while driving, working outside, and making dinners. I was curious how much listening I’ve done, so I looked at my stats. Since I started a new Amazon Canada account in 2018, I’ve listened to over 16 days (384 hours) worth of audiobooks, about 70 titles. That’s nearly 12 books a year. Not too bad.
Not all of those books are amazing. There’s something to learn from each of them, but a few stand out as being jam-packed with great advice. I’ve read or listened to some of them more than once! Today, I’ll share with you 5 of my favourites. If I had more time, I’d re-read each of these books every year. I’ve recommended many of these to the product managers I’ve coached over the years.
How to get honest feedback, even from your mom. Talking to customers is difficult, and getting honest feedback is even harder. As the interviewer, you must dig through the misinformation and get to the truth. The key is to ask the right questions. Geared toward early-stage founders, this book is a gem for anyone in product seeking feedback. Avoid asking if your idea is good; instead, focus on the customer’s issues, experiences, and workflow. Don’t discuss features and opinions.
The Right It - Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed - Alberto Savoia
How can you know you’re building the right thing? Before you build anything at all, what are some things you can do to confirm your assumptions and strategy? Covering eight different ‘pretotyping’ strategies. Pretotyping is a concept covered in the book that explores ways to test for product market fit potential before you ever build the product, such as the well-known fake door test. Savoia makes the whole list readily available here.
The First 90 Days - Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter - Michael Watkins
The first 90 days of any role are critical, especially as a PM. This leadership-focused book is an excellent guide for product managers at any level. It’s essential in the early stages to be prepared, accelerate your learning, negotiate early goals, and deliver early wins. I’ve discussed this in my post: Your first 30 days as a product manager, inspired by the book.
Blink - The power of thinking without thinking - Malcolm Gladwell
You know that hunch you get about whether something is a good idea or not? That feeling is rooted in science and backed by knowledge and experience you’ve acquired over the years. A great example in the book is how an art historian can quickly spot an authentic piece from a fake. It’s one thing to have a gut feeling, but it’s important to have the ability to articulate what drove you to that conclusion as well. And Gladwell also digs into how to get to that point in this book.
Anything You Want - 40 lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur - Derek Sivers
I’ve read this book more than once. I have the originally published version done through Seth Godin’s ‘Domino Project’; this incredible book is not about product management specifically but an interesting tale of finding product market fit, building a great company that people love to work for, and quitting while you’re ahead.
Bonus Book
Even though it’s not geared to product managers, there are some great lessons for early-stage startup PMs. It’s a great alternative view of creating successful b[r]and positioning, revenue models, logos, and hype for your product.
Some of these books would make great gifts; be sure to add a couple to your wish list and maybe even pick one up for a friend.
What books have inspired you most as a product manager? Share some titles in the comments, others would love to check them out.
The Mom Test is a great book. Solid list.