Must-Read Books For Product Managers in 2021

Most successful people adopt a vital habit – daily reading. Not only does it improve your brain working, but it also expands your horizons. It is one thing to read some books for self-development, reducing stress, or just for fun, and another thing to read for improving your professional knowledge and skills. This article is perfect for future or already succeeding Product Managers, as it is about to introduce you to 20 must-read Books For Product Managers specialists in the field. 

Before we start, I want to give you some insight into Product Management. Product Management is all about launching and pre-launching processes of determining projects or products. The specialists do colossal research about the market, the necessary items, the connections they can make, etc. Product Management also includes strategy development. So as it seems obvious, the job is very responsible, so learning every day can never hurt. \

Books For Product Managers in 2021

Launch: The Roadmap to Product Management Success

The authors of the book are Nathan Thomas, Body Coby, and Gabriela Araujo. The contributors are Katya Evdokimova, Jorge Jimenez, and Dan Zirkelbach. The book provides value regarding the nuances of the profession. The authors made the book like a textbook so that everyone can have access to knowledge. To be more precise, it teaches us about Analytics, Product Management, Market research, Digital Marketing (Social Media Marketing), etc. Moreover, as examples, they use PayPal, Google, Facebook, and many successful and world-known companies and products to make it more straightforward and easy to understand.

Free: The Future of a Radical Price

The author, Chris Anderson, published a book in 2009, which has become one of Product Managers’ favorite books. As the title says, it is about pricing. In the era of radical changes in the market, we find lots of things free; that is a phenomenon that would not occur, for example, in the 1990s. As the tendency grows day by day, Product Managers should watch out and choose the pricing carefully and correspondingly. One thing that is unique for the book is that it shows the advantages of giving things for free compared to charging money for the same things.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

David Epstein is the author of one of the most relevant books about Product Management. The book “Range; Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” tells us about the significance of having plenty of strings to your bow. Unlike other professions connected to Business, Product Managers have to know about the world as much as possible. As the title suggests, it is about being generalists and looking at the bigger picture. Especially in the United States, everyone specializes in one thing, which eliminates the chances of growing in different directions, expanding your horizons in terms of professions. Yet, the book gives a piece of advice – seek knowledge.

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Jeff Bezos, being the founder of Amazon, published a book that became a best-seller. The book is about the adventures of the company, Amazon.com, and the author himself. It covers the risks and events that may happen while having a business. Also, the gist is the history of starting, launching, and developing Amazon. Some of us may not have known that Amazon used to be a book-delivering business. But it turns out, in the beginning, they would only deliver books via post mail. Now, if we compare, we can see that almost every one of us knows what Amazon.com is. So that is a perfect example of dreaming and making the dreams come true. The book is highly recommended for Product Managers because “The Everything Store” is an excellent learning source.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

The author of the book is Ben Horowitz, a well-known entrepreneur and a co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz. The author covers the main topics regarding startups. With the different rising movements, the Internet is full of calls to become an entrepreneur, be your boss, and build your legacy. Yet, we will not hear about the risks and difficulties as often. It turns out having and managing a business is more troublesome than some of us can even imagine. It takes courage, willpower, and many other characteristic lines and skills. Ben Horowitz made sure he provides value, so the book is one of a kind for Product Managers.

Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology

The author, Gayle Laakmann Mcdowell, questions so many acute issues regarding a Product Manager’s profession. You can find fascinating answers to the questions that arise about the career, MBA degree, skills, and job market in the book. It covers the tips and tricks about the profession and nailing interviews. The book is perfect for those who want to start working as Product Managers in startups or big tech companies. The author is extremely qualified and trustworthy, as she founded Careercup.com, worked at Google, Microsoft, and Apple. The book “Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology” can become your ticket to success.

Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

Almost all of us need a mentor – a person who will support us, give advice, be by our side. The book by Timothy Ferriss is a bunch of pieces of advice from famous and successful people. Even if you do not have a mentor, “Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World” will almost replace them. Learning from the best is only a benefit for you. Product Managers, in this case, when they are hesitating before making a hard decision, may learn from others’ experience.  For example, the book will help you set a new, more advanced schedule for having a productive day; so many other amazing changes are awaiting you.

Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers 

The author of the book is Geoffrey A. Moore. “Crossing the Chasm” could be a classic selling textbook. It covers everything intimately and is loved by most Product Managers. It helps to be told the techniques of finance, Product Management, and selling. The book is principally targeting Technology, school firms, and Technology adoption. The book has been republished three times so that it might be up-to-date. Yet, the rule of thumb will be helpful though the info isn’t that contemporary and new. It explains the core of a business and the way it ought to work.

A Complete and Utter Failure: A Celebration of Also-Rans, Runners-Up, Never-Weres & Total Flops

All of us need to stop whatever we are doing at the moment and take a break for a while. Most of the time, it is helpful to look at the past and analyze its mistakes. Not all of us can do it with a sense of humor. Yet, the author of the book, Neil Steinberg, succeeded. The book is promising to be a funny one. It sarcastically tells us about the failures of the greatest companies and individuals. The main benefit you will get is reading a ridiculous book, but the fear you might fail will disappear. Neil Steinberg, the author, comically tells us the story of human evolution. Obviously, he includes the glorious failures too and explains the reasons behind them. It will surely help Product Managers to reduce stress over new products and to take a moment to laugh out loud. It is funny and easy to read, so have fun!

Hired: How to Get a Product Management Job

Every single applicant wants to hear the desirable words – “You are hired!”. No doubt, Product Managers are not an exception. Yet, every profession and field have their unique specifications and “rules” to play the game. The guideline “Hired: How to get a Product Management job” will ensure you are ready for the interview. It thoroughly covers the principles you need to stick to land the job. The book helps you understand the company’s gaps to want to get into and use the data and information to show your abilities and skills. Not only does it prepare you for the interview, but it also tells you about the biggest companies that you probably can work for – Amazon, Airbnb, Spotify, Google, and many others. As a bonus, it has a chapter about the first days as a Product Manager. So, the newcomers to the field can already imagine what their day can look like. By following the instructions the book suggests, you will be sure enough to apply for the job position.

What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture

The author, Ben Horowitz, believes that some patterns happen to repeat themselves regularly. The repeating patterns form the culture of a given company. If the company does not follow the consistent rhythm, the company fails to shape a cultural specification. Ben Horowitz finds some similarities between the system and history. Hence, in this book, he explains the formation, development, evolution of the culture. To understand who you are, you need to look back; that is the book’s message. Ben Horowitz questions whether the company is good enough, so people still will say good things when they are not around. The book is aiming to make a leader and good manager out of you. Therefore, it can be beneficial for Product Managers. But before reading the best seller, ask yourself – who are you? Believe in yourself and grow your business!

Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)

How many of us have made a presentation? Surely, the majority have. Yet, have you ever struggled with choosing the right theme, image, text size, and so on? Garr Reynolds, the founder of one of the most famous websites, presentationzen.com, teaches us how to make presentations. It helps us to prepare a slide show, correctly targeting the audience by using the right features. The design, slides, text, and information are vital, yet there are a few things that we need to consider. The way we speak, the way we present, and how we move can indicate our passion for the work and attract our audience. The book covers the topics and gives valuable pieces of advice about presenting. Like is mentioned previously, Product Managers need to have excellent presentation skills. The book may be beneficial.

Product Mindset: How to Get Inside Your Customer’s Mind

Most of the time, we will hear phrases like – how am I supposed to know what they want? Or – I do not read their minds, so I do not know what their needs are. Product Managers are the ones who struggle with it the most. The book tends to make you think like your customers. You need to know how your clients live, what problems they encounter every single day, what they eat, what they breathe. As a Product Manager, you need to know every little thing that will give you a clue about your business growth. The book promises to help you become product-oriented. The guideline might be the key that will help you get into your clients’ minds. In the book, some successful entrepreneurs and Product Managers share their experience regarding reading minds’ enigmas. It covers the tricks and tips about research, segmentation, and quick problem-solving. Some good research may explore your clients’ needs and give you a clue to understanding how to help clients meet their needs.

When Coffee and Kale Compete: Become Great at Making Products People Will Buy

Like it is often said, we have to be passionate about something we do; otherwise, we will fail. It is true, as not quitting is much harder than working hard. And if you do not like what you do, it becomes even harder to accomplish. In his “When Coffee and Kale Compete: Become great at making products people will buy” book, Alan Klement explains the truth behind customers’ needs. They want to live better and better every day. To make sure they meet their needs, you need to produce something that will help them live the life they want. The book also answers the question about the necessity of being passionate about your job. The author is giving some comparison examples of succeeding and failing companies. He also explains the reasons behind the scenarios. The book definitely should be in Product Managers’ must-read lists as it explains the product-oriented mindset in detail.

The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change)

Clayton M. Christensen, the author of the book, wants to emphasize the importance of innovations. He gives a myriad of examples of wildly known companies who may fail too. What is the reason? The explanation lies in response to the innovations. New trends, new needs are popping up literally every single day. How is a company supposed to react to all of it? Should it do a rebranding very often to meet the new needs? The book answers the questions and advice not to skip new coming trends but to stick to your path. The author, Clayton M. Christensen, gives some actionable steps, a set of rules to follow to make progress. What concerns the failures of the greatest companies, then the book suggests keeping working. If the most successful organizations can fail one day, then there is nothing to worry about; as it is normal.

Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters

One of the responsibilities of Product Managers is developing a strategy for launching and delivering the product. The book by Ryan Singer will help you to ensure the perfect delivery. When people struggle with shipping, communicating with customers, it is suggested to read the book. It explains the main techniques, tricks, and tips to ensure your product is delivering on time and in the right place. To face the problems and challenges, we need to learn, read a bit, and work on ourselves. The book will help Product Managers to achieve their goals in terms of developing the delivery strategy.

My Product Management Toolkit: Tools and Techniques to Become an Outstanding Product Manager

Have you ever wondered why there is no sense of success? Why there is no natural feeling that can give you a clue about a certain project. Hence, you can know for a fact if the project will succeed or not. Such questions would concern Marc Abraham too. He is the author of “My Product Management Toolkit: Tools and Techniques to Become an Outstanding Product Manager.” Therefore, he had found some tools that allowed him to predict whether the product will fail or not. In the suggested book, you can learn about the tools to implement during their work. The whole toolkit, the skillset is fully provided by the author. Product Managers will need a pan and a copybook to take a lot of notes and learn.

The Product Book: How to Become A Great Product Manager

Imagine a big company full of experienced professionals. Everyone has their responsibilities, deadlines, projects. What do you think duties a Product Manager would have? Many companies underestimate the real importance of having a Product Manager. The book called “The Product Book: How to Become A Great Product Manager” is produced by Product School. It gives you a clear understanding of a Product Manager’s job, their duties, the main job, and many other not common secrets about the position. By reading the book, you may convince your future boss to understand how it is vital to have such professionals, and the business will grow as soon as they hire one. 

Product Management For Dummies

The sarcastically titled book is written by Brian Lawley, the CEO and Founder of the 280 Group and a very famous Product Manager. The book is perfect for already experienced Product Managers, as it gives some essential tools to become even more qualified. It thoroughly explains every single duty of a Product Manager and tries to show how some improvements will impact the whole deal. The author has put a huge effort into explaining the necessity of each skill a Product Manager needs. It also covers every step of the routine of a professional in Product Management – starting with market research and ending with delivering the product to your house. Understanding the rising demand for Product Managers, the professionals need to meet the criteria. That is why it is crucial for them to learn all the tips Brian Lawley suggests.

Start at the End: How to Build Products That Create Change

Matt Wallaert, in his book, “Start at the End: How to Build Products That Create Change,” tries to address the Product Managers and business owners. The author believes that companies should not force their customers to buy things they suggest to improve their lives. No solution is needed if there is no identified problem. Consumers should not change their lives because there are some new products out there. They need to think of a new item, and the companies will do their job.

Conclusion

As we have already seen, the profession of a Product Manager is essential for any company. For that, it is vital to be skilled enough to cope with daily arising problems. The article suggests 20 books that will improve your professional knowledge and abilities and add some proficiency. We hope you will enjoy reading the books. Have a good read!

Also read Top Must Read Books For Product Managers

Must-Read Books For Product Managers in 2021

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