Strategic Product Management from Coursera

Course Description:

This course equips participants with essential skills and methodologies for effective product management. The course covers various frameworks, including Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and Design Thinking, helping learners choose the right approaches for their projects. Participants will explore technical skills, such as understanding technical requirements and using data analysis tools, along with market analysis and product strategy topics like user research and go-to-market strategies. It also addresses the product development lifecycle, collaboration between teams, and best practices for product launches. Finally, learners will gain hands-on experience with SQL and Excel for data management and popular data visualization tools to enhance their analytical capabilities. This course is designed for aspiring product managers looking to refine their strategic decision-making skills.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze various product management frameworks and methodologies, applying the most suitable approaches to different product scenarios.

2. Evaluate technical requirements and leverage data analysis tools to inform product development and decision-making processes.

3. Conduct market analysis and customer research to identify target segments and develop effective go-to-market strategies.

4. Utilize data management techniques, including SQL and Excel, to analyze product metrics and visualize data for informed decision-making.

Target Audience:

This course is tailored for students seeking a career in Product Management and professionals looking to transition into Product Management roles. It is ideal for individuals who wish to enhance their interviewing skills and deepen their understanding of the product management landscape, preparing them effectively for product management interviews.

Prerequisites:

-Engineering Degree preferable - not necessary

-Basic knowledge of technology company operations

What's inside

Syllabus

This module provides an in-depth look at the stages of product development and the tools that facilitate this process. This module explores the collaboration between product and engineering teams, the integration of design and development processes, and the importance of continuous improvement. You will also learn about the various tools and technologies that support product management, including project management software, data analytics, and user testing tools.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and Design Thinking, which are essential frameworks for managing projects and collaborating with development teams

Develops skills in SQL and Excel, which are essential for data analysis and are widely used in product management roles

Explores market analysis, customer research, and competitive analysis, which are crucial for identifying target customer segments and developing effective product strategies

Examines the product development lifecycle, which is important for understanding how products are conceived, developed, and launched

Requires a basic knowledge of technology company operations, which may exclude learners without prior exposure to the tech industry

Teaches data visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI, and Google Data Studio, which are subject to frequent updates and may require learners to adapt to newer versions

Reviews summary

Strategic product management comprehensive foundation

According to learners, this course provides a highly comprehensive foundation in strategic product management, making it exceptionally valuable for individuals transitioning into the field and those preparing for interviews. Many reviewers highlight the practical utility of the hands-on sections covering data tools like SQL and Excel, which provide immediately applicable skills. The course is praised for covering the entire product lifecycle with relevant and well-structured content. However, a notable portion of feedback suggests the course offers a broad, high-level overview and may lack sufficient depth in certain technical or advanced areas, potentially making it less suitable for experienced product managers seeking deep dives. Some students also noted that the course covers extensive material, leading to a potentially fast pace.

Covers extensive material quickly.

"They cover so much ground, it felt a bit rushed in some sections."

"It's a broad survey of PM topics, which means less time on each area."

"Couldn't absorb everything with the pace; had to rewatch lectures."

"The course packs a lot in, which can make the pace feel challenging."

Well-suited for newcomers to PM.

"Excellent course for anyone looking to get into Product Management. It's very accessible."

"Highly recommend for career transitioners. It provides a clear path."

"Good for absolute beginners though. It starts from the ground up."

"As someone new to PM, I found this course easy to follow and understand."

Valuable hands-on with SQL, Excel, Vis tools.

"The data sections, especially SQL and Excel, were incredibly practical and directly applicable to my work."

"I loved the hands-on exercises with the data visualization tools. It's a skill I can use immediately."

"Gave me usable skills for analyzing product data and making data-driven decisions."

"Learning the basics of SQL and Excel for PM was a major plus for this course."

Comprehensive overview ideal for starting PM.

"This course provides a solid foundation for product management roles. It covered all the key areas needed."

"Excellent course for anyone transitioning into PM. It demystifies the role and process."

"Really helpful for interview preparation. It gives you the framework and language to discuss PM concepts."

"It's a comprehensive and practical guide to the product management lifecycle from start to finish."

May be too introductory if you have PM background.

"If you have some prior PM experience, this might be too basic for your needs."

"This course is too introductory. Expected more advanced techniques and case studies."

"Didn't feel worth the time given my background; much of it was a review."

"Better suited for those with zero to minimal PM experience."

Lacks depth on advanced or technical areas.

"Wish they went deeper into technical requirements and advanced data analysis methods."

"Felt like a high-level overview, not enough detail on specific frameworks or techniques."

"Some modules felt a bit superficial; I needed external resources for more depth."

"Expected more advanced coverage given the title, but it stayed quite foundational."

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 Strategic Product Management with these activities:

Review Agile Methodologies

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Refresh your understanding of Agile methodologies to better grasp the product management frameworks discussed in the course.

Browse courses on Agile Methodologies

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Read articles and blog posts about Agile principles and practices.
Watch introductory videos on Agile and Scrum.
Review the Agile Manifesto.

Read 'The Lean Startup'

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Understand the principles of Lean Startup to apply them to product development strategies discussed in the course.

View The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use... on Amazon

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Read the book 'The Lean Startup'.
Identify key concepts like MVP and validated learning.
Reflect on how these concepts apply to product management.

SQL and Excel Data Analysis Exercises

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Practice SQL queries and Excel functions to enhance your data analysis skills for product management decision-making.

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Complete online SQL tutorials and exercises.
Practice data manipulation and analysis in Excel.
Analyze sample product data using SQL and Excel.

Four other activities

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Read 'Inspired: How to Create Products Customers Love'

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Gain insights into product discovery and strategy from a leading expert in the field.

View Product is Hard SVPG Box Set: Includes INSPIRED... on Amazon

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Read the book 'Inspired'.
Take notes on key product management principles.
Reflect on how to apply these principles in your work.

Competitive Analysis Report

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Develop a competitive analysis report to apply market analysis techniques learned in the course.

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Identify key competitors in a chosen product area.
Analyze their products, pricing, and marketing strategies.
Summarize findings in a structured report.

Design a Go-to-Market Strategy

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Create a go-to-market strategy for a hypothetical product to solidify your understanding of product launch planning.

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Define the target audience and market for the product.
Develop a marketing and sales plan.
Outline the launch timeline and key milestones.

Data Visualization Dashboard

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Build a data visualization dashboard using Tableau or Power BI to showcase your data analysis and presentation skills.

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Choose a relevant dataset related to product metrics.
Create visualizations to highlight key trends and insights.
Design an interactive dashboard for easy exploration.

Career center

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

Product Manager

A product manager uses methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, and Kanban, all covered in this course, to guide the development and launch of new products. This role requires a deep understanding of the product development lifecycle, from initial concept to market release. A solid understanding of data analysis, using tools such as SQL and Excel, also covered in this course, is crucial for making informed decisions. This course is ideal if you are seeking to refine your product management skills, and it will help you to develop effective strategies and techniques to improve your performance as a product manager.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Product Owner

Product owners work closely with development teams, defining and prioritizing product features. This course will allow you to understand various product management frameworks, including Agile, Scrum, and Kanban, all of which are crucial to a product owner role. The skills taught related to data analysis, with tools like SQL and Excel, are essential for analyzing product performance, while the market analysis and product strategy modules help with strategic decision making and user research. This course is designed for those seeking to improve their strategic decision making skills, enabling them to excel as a product owner.

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Business Analyst

A business analyst identifies and documents business needs and requirements, often working closely with product teams. This course helps build a solid foundation in various methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, and Kanban, as well as in understanding of product development lifecycles, which are relevant for a business analyst. The market analysis and product strategy lessons are especially useful for understanding market trends and customer needs. The data management techniques explored in this course, using SQL and Excel, will enable a business analyst to make data-driven recommendations, so taking this course can help you to become a more effective business analyst.

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Project Manager

Project managers oversee the planning, execution, and completion of projects. This course may be helpful as it emphasizes collaboration between teams and provides a broad overview of product management frameworks such as Agile, Scrum, and Kanban. Knowledge of the product development lifecycle and the various tools to support product management, covered in the course, is relevant for project management, as is the course's focus on data analytics. This course therefore may be useful to those who want to manage product launches and development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

UX Researcher

A UX researcher conducts user research and usability tests, contributing to the design of user-friendly products. This course may be useful as it covers market analysis, user research, and the development of go-to-market strategies, all of which can inform UX research. This course also explores design thinking, which is an important framework for UX researchers. Although it is not the main focus, the data and tools module in this course can be beneficial for analyzing user patterns. Taking this course may be useful if you want to understand product management processes that can enhance your contributions as a UX researcher.

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Data Analyst

Data analysts interpret data to identify trends and insights that can inform business decisions. This course has a module focused on data and tools, providing a foundational knowledge of SQL and Excel, crucial for data analysis. The course also covers data visualization tools, which will help a data analyst to present findings effectively. The information on product metrics and data-driven decision making will allow a data analyst to better understand product performance. Although the course does not provide in-depth statistical analysis, the focus on using data for product strategy may be particularly beneficial for data analysts working with product teams.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Marketing Analyst

A marketing analyst focuses on analyzing market trends and campaign performance. While the primary focus of this course is product management, the market analysis and product strategy modules are directly relevant to a marketing analyst. The course also covers customer research and target segment identification, which are important for creating effective marketing strategies. Furthermore, the data analysis skills taught in the course, especially the use of tools such as SQL and Excel, may be helpful for analyzing campaign data. This course may be useful for those looking to enhance their analytical skills and understand product strategy which can be valuable in the role of marketing analyst.

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Technical Writer

A technical writer creates documentation for technical products and services. Although this course is not directly about technical writing, it may be useful as the course develops a solid understanding of product development and technical requirements, which will enable a technical writer to better understand and document the product's technical aspects. The course also covers data analysis, which is important for understanding product performance and technical specifications. Although it is not a core skill for technical writing, taking this course may be helpful for anyone who wants to expand their understanding of product development.

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Technology Consultant

Technology consultants provide expert advice on technology solutions to businesses. This course may be helpful because it covers crucial product management concepts and frameworks, such as Agile, Scrum, and Kanban. The course also addresses technical skills, like understanding software development concepts and data analysis tools. The market analysis and go-to-market strategy lessons will teach a technology consultant business strategy. These skills may be useful to those seeking to work as a technology consultant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technology Consultant

Market Research Analyst

Market research analysts study market conditions to assess the potential of a product or service. This course may be helpful as it covers market analysis, customer research, and competitive analysis, all essential components of market research. The lessons on go-to-market strategies and product launches in this course can help with understanding product success factors. The course also has a module on data, which may be useful for market research analysis. This course may be useful for those looking to expand their knowledge of market analysis techniques.

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Management Consultant

Management consultants provide strategic advice to organizations to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. This course may be helpful because the product strategy, market analysis, and data-driven decision making lessons are applicable to this role. This course may be useful as it introduces methodologies such as Agile and Scrum. Understanding the development lifecycle, as discussed in this course, is also beneficial when evaluating different products and processes. This course may be useful if you are seeking to improve your strategic thinking.

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Sales Analyst

Sales analysts examine sales data to identify trends and opportunities to improve performance. This course may be useful as it covers data management techniques using SQL and Excel, which are valuable for analyzing sales data. The course’s focus on market analysis and understanding customer segments may also be helpful for a sales analyst to understand sales performance. Though not directly focused on sales, the data analysis skills and market knowledge that this course provides may be useful for someone who works in this field.

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Operations Analyst

Operations analysts work to improve the efficiency of organizational processes. This course may be useful as it covers product development lifecycles and the tools used in product management, providing a framework for analyzing operational processes. The data analysis skills taught in this course can also be applied to operational data. While the course doesn't directly focus on operations, the focus on process and data-driven decision making may be useful for an operations analyst.

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Software Developer

Software developers write code to create software applications. This course may be helpful because it provides an understanding of software development concepts, which will be useful for working with product managers. The course also covers the product development lifecycle, which can help a software developer better understand the context of the projects on which they work. While it does not cover specific programming languages, this course may be helpful for software developers who want a better understanding of the product lifecycle.

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Quality Assurance Analyst

Quality assurance analysts test products and processes to ensure they meet standards. This course may be useful as it provides an understanding of the product development lifecycle and different product management methodologies. This course also includes information about data analysis and product metrics, which may be useful for the role of a quality assurance analyst. Although not directly related, this course may be useful for those who want to understand the product development process.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Strategic Product Management.

SVPG Box Set

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Provides a comprehensive guide to modern product management, covering topics such as product discovery, product strategy, and product execution. It is highly recommended for understanding the roles and responsibilities of product managers in successful tech companies. The book offers practical advice and real-world examples to help product managers build products that customers love. It is widely used as a reference by product professionals.

Product is Hard SVPG Box Set: Includes INSPIRED,...

Hardcover

$$$$

Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use...

Save

Introduces the Lean Startup methodology, which emphasizes validated learning, rapid experimentation, and iterative product releases. It is highly relevant to the course as it provides a framework for building and launching products efficiently. The book valuable resource for understanding how to minimize waste and maximize learning throughout the product development lifecycle. It is commonly used by entrepreneurs and product managers alike.

The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use...

Hardcover

The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use...

Kindle Edition