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A recent news article calls the Product Manager the 4th most important role in a company today, making product management one of the hottest jobs in the market. However, most people are unaware of what exactly a Product Manager does. Does the role require technical skills or business skills? And what is it about the role that demands extreme empathy with the customer?

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A recent news article calls the Product Manager the 4th most important role in a company today, making product management one of the hottest jobs in the market. However, most people are unaware of what exactly a Product Manager does. Does the role require technical skills or business skills? And what is it about the role that demands extreme empathy with the customer?

This e-learning course by the Institute of Product Leadership is a foundational course that demystifies the role. Starting from the very basics of “What is a product?”, the course curriculum introduces students to the productizing process and the skills and frameworks such as Market Analysis, Strategic Planning, Product Planning, Go to Market and Sales Enablement required to design, launch and nurture a product. Students will also be introduced to the role and career path of a Product Manager and the business, technology and customer contexts a person needs to master to become a good Product Manager.

A clear understanding of the consumer is critical to the success of any business. The focus of this course is to help participants become keen observers of strategic consumer insights and hence build a value proposition for their products.

Although no prior knowledge is required, an appreciation or hands-on experience of how product and services companies operate is helpful.

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Get a sound introduction to the world of products
  • Understand value and the value management journey that is critical to the lifecycle of all products
  • Understand the adaptive productizing process, a leading framework for product innovation
  • Learn the nuances and career track of the product manager role.

Syllabus

On-demand video of the course material
Supplementary Resources
Lifetime access to all material
Chapter-end and course-end quizzes
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Industry demand for product managers is growing rapidly
Introduces the role and career path of a Product Manager
Provides a strong foundation for beginners
Examines a leading framework for product innovation
Course teaches skills, knowledge, and tools that are highly relevant to industry
Builds a strong foundation for beginners

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Reviews summary

Solid foundation for aspiring product managers

According to students, the "Product Management Foundation" course offers an excellent starting point for aspiring PMs, providing a clear, well-structured introduction. Learners commend its ability to demystify the PM role and the instructor's insightful explanations of key frameworks such as Market Analysis and the Adaptive Productizing Process. While it builds a solid foundation, some found it high-level, desiring more practical examples or challenging quizzes. It's ideal as a crucial first step into product management.
Well-organized content with excellent instructor explanations.
"The content is well-structured, easy to follow, and the instructor explains complex concepts with great clarity."
"The course flow is logical, and the instructor's passion for the subject shines through."
"The explanations are clear, and the structure is logical. It helps to connect the dots between various product management functions."
Provides clear understanding of Product Manager's job.
"It truly demystified the role for me and gave me a solid foundation."
"It certainly helped clarify the career path."
"The course does a good job of outlining the product manager's role and responsibilities."
Ideal for new learners to product management.
"This course is an excellent starting point for anyone looking to understand product management."
"Absolutely brilliant for beginners! I had no prior experience in product management, and this course made everything so accessible."
"As someone transitioning into product management, this course was exactly what I needed. It provided a clear, comprehensive overview..."
Quizzes are simple and don't challenge understanding.
"The quizzes were also very basic and didn't really challenge my understanding."
"I think it would benefit from more interactive exercises or perhaps a small project to apply the learned frameworks."
"Good as a very first intro, but don't expect deep dives. It lays the groundwork, but I'll need to supplement this with other resources."
Content can be too basic for experienced learners.
"My only minor critique is that it's quite high-level, so if you're already familiar with some business concepts, you might find certain sections a bit basic."
"While it covers the basics, I found some parts a bit too superficial. I was hoping for more practical examples or case studies..."
"If you have even a little bit of experience or have read a book on product management, you might find it redundant. It sticks to very high-level concepts."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Product Management Foundation with these activities:
Read Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore
This book provides insights into the challenges of bringing a product to market and achieving success.
Show steps
  • Read the book.
  • Summarize the key points of the book.
  • Apply the concepts from the book to your own product management work.
Review the basics of business and marketing
Reviewing the basics will prepare you for the more advanced concepts covered in the course.
Browse courses on Business Foundations
Show steps
  • Read a book or article on business basics.
  • Take an online course on business or marketing.
  • Attend a seminar or workshop on business or marketing.
Practice conducting market research
Practicing market research will help you develop the skills needed to gather and analyze data about your target market.
Browse courses on Market Research
Show steps
  • Identify the research question you want to answer.
  • Design a research method.
  • Collect data.
  • Analyze data.
  • Draw conclusions.
Five other activities
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Show all eight activities
Develop a product concept
This project will allow you to apply the concepts you learn in the course to a real-world scenario.
Browse courses on Product Development
Show steps
  • Identify a problem or need that you want to solve.
  • Brainstorm potential solutions.
  • Develop a product concept that meets the identified need.
  • Create a prototype of your product concept.
  • Test your product concept with potential users.
Create a product roadmap
Creating a product roadmap will allow you to plan and track the development of your product.
Browse courses on Product Roadmap
Show steps
  • Define the goals of your product.
  • Identify the key features of your product.
  • Prioritize the features of your product.
  • Create a timeline for the development of your product.
  • Track the progress of your product's development.
Attend industry events
Attending industry events will allow you to network with other professionals and learn about the latest trends in product management.
Show steps
  • Identify industry events that are relevant to your career.
  • Register for and attend events.
  • Network with other attendees.
  • Learn about the latest trends in product management.
Join a product management community
Joining a product management community will allow you to connect with other product managers and learn from their experiences.
Show steps
  • Search for product management communities online.
  • Join a few product management communities.
  • Participate in discussions and ask questions.
  • Attend webinars and events hosted by the communities.
Create a resource library for product managers
Creating a resource library will give you access to a variety of materials that can help you in your product management work.
Browse courses on Product Management
Show steps
  • Identify the types of resources you want to include in your library.
  • Search for resources online.
  • Organize the resources in your library.
  • Share your library with other product managers.

Career center

Learners who complete Product Management Foundation will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

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