PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

Dive into the world of product management as you learn about the day-to-day responsibilities of a product manager and why the role is necessary.

• The importance of product management
• The role of a product manager
• Different phases of a product lifecycle
• Cross-functional leadership and managing stakeholders

Discover the technical skills needed to succeed as a product manager and the building blocks of an effective product team.

• Influence without authority
• Clarity in roles and responsibilities
• The importance of decision-making
• Running effective meetings

Assignment #1:
Consider how you would establish credibility with senior team members as a new product manager. Describe your plan of action during the first week, month, and quarter of your new role.

Learn the basics of defining a product (vs. a great technology idea).

• What is a product?
• Identifying customer pain points
• SWOT analysis

Don’t try to boil the ocean! Learn how to create an MVP (minimum viable product) that lets you fail fast and adapt.

• Assumptions and hypotheses
• Preview stages: alpha, beta, private and public
• Getting an initial set of users and customers

Assignment #2:
Think about developing a file-sharing service in a regulated industry such as healthcare or finance. Define the MVP for your product, stating assumptions and hypotheses.

Learn how to create a product vision and roadmap – in collaboration with engineering teams.

• Product features, requirements, and stories
• Roadmapping and prioritizing
• Product management methodologies
• Using epics, specs, roadmaps, and backlogs

Assignment #3:
Develop a one-year roadmap for the file-sharing service. Share a backlog for Q1, Q2, and H2. Pick one feature and write a one-pager outlining requirements.

Build your customer and develop personas to better understand their needs.

• Understanding and evaluating a customer segment
• Defining personas and their needs
• Customer development

Assignment #4:
Look back at the MVP you developed for assignment #2. Describe the customer segment and define your target personas.

It’s time to start thinking about the solution. What does it look like? Can users easily do what they need to?

• Wireframes, mock-ups, and prototypes
• User studies with real customers
• Workshop: A/B testing

Assignment #5:
Pick one of your target personas. Draw a wireframe for the user experience of one user sharing a file with multiple users. Consider permissions, authentication, security, and validation.

How can you define success? Learn to set criteria for the product and align with internal stakeholders.

• Choosing product metrics
• Popular metrics frameworks
• Tracking metrics
• Aligning metrics across an organization

Assignment #6:
Define the metrics for the file-sharing service you’ve been creating. How would you track these metrics? Next, choose your favorite smartphone app and imagine you are the product manager. Define 3-5 metrics that you would want to track for the app.

Explore how to bring a product to market, including the keys to customer onboarding and support.

• Designing a go-to-market strategy
• Global rollout
• Training and onboarding users
• Providing support, documentation, and FAQs

Learn the basics of finance for product managers and understand how to read a profit and loss (P&L) statement.

• Understanding financial statements and the balance sheet
• Creating a business case
• Managing a P&L
• Determining pricing models

Assignment #7:
Create a tiered pricing model for your file-sharing service.

Despite everyone’s best efforts, products fail. Here’s what to do when that happens – and the steps you can take to avoid it.

• Why do products fail?
• Developing a risk management plan
• Testing, audits, and inspection
• Quality control and assurance

Assignment #8:
Develop a risk management plan for your file-sharing service (optional).

In this final class, you’ll gain career advice and tips on landing a job or promotion in product management. Learn how to demonstrate your value and impact.

• Building your brand as a product manager
• Getting a product management job
• Managing a team of product managers
• Maintaining trust and credibility

Each student will have five minutes with Manjula for a mock interview (one question) with time for feedback.