The Prodify Blog

The Top 5 Resources for Product Managers

Written by Rajesh Nerlikar | August 2 2019

One of the most common questions we get from aspiring, new and experienced product managers alike is - what do you recommend I do to learn the craft?  Here, my friends, is where I'd recommend  starting.

1. Online Communities

There are a couple of good sources of product content and both have active Slack communities for real-time discussions / guidance as well.

You might also like my Twitter list of product thought leaders.  I find it helpful to keep tabs on their latest thinking / what's top of mind for them.

2. Books

My favorites so far in terms of covering core concepts of good product management:

3. Podcasts

I like hearing from product thought leaders while I walk the dog (and sometimes while I'm driving). Here are some of my favorites:

4. Meetups

Meetups are a good way to meet local product folks and perhaps take a nugget or two back to the office the next day.  I can't speak for every city, but since I live in Austin and Ben's in DC (I also lived there for 4 years), here are few worth checking out:

5. Conferences

Conferences are a great way to understand what topics are trending in product management and what thought leaders are up to.  The two biggest ones I know of are:

Closing Thoughts

Keep in mind that product management is like golf - you can take some lessons to get started but practice is what makes you really good.  If you're not yet operating as a product manager, find ways to try it out:

  • Offer to help a PM at your company or local startup with anything - market research, backlog grooming, wireframes, getting user feedback, etc.
  • Launch a product you wish existed from scratch - even if it doesn't make any money, you'll have some great experiences to talk about in interviews

Good luck and may the Force be with you!