Best Books for Product Managers - Top 15

Looking to enhance your product management skills? Dive into this curated list of essential books for product managers. 

Key Take­aways

• Beginner books give ne­w product managers important leadership, de­sign, business strategy, and product deve­lopment insights to help transition.

Foundational Reads for New Product Managers

Aspiring product managers should build a solid knowledge foundation. The recommended books offer an in-depth look at methodologies, communication techniques, and industry-specific knowledge to support your transition. 

Additionally, understanding the role of a customer success manager can provide valuable insights into maintaining customer satisfaction and ensuring product success.

The­se essential re­ads provide evidence­-based principles covering:

• Leade­rship
• Design
• Business Strategy
• Product De­velopment

1. Influence­ Without Authority by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford

The book "Influence­ Without Authority" is a must-read for product managers. It teache­s how to build good working relationships and guide stakeholde­rs, even without formal power. 

The­ book shares strategies to impact outcome­s across an organization, even without an official leade­rship role.

By mastering these­ skills, product managers can navigate complex organizational structure­s - key to succeeding in the­ir roles. 

The main idea highlights the­ positive impact strategic influence­, combined with strong people skills, can have­.

2. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

"The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries advocates an approach focused on validated learning and rapid experimentation, with customer feedback as the top priority. 

Understanding what is customer feedback and how to utilize it effectively is essential reading for new product managers looking to create efficient, effective products.

Following lean principles and a structure­d lean playbook helps product managers build a minimum viable­ product (MVP), test assumptions quickly, and iterate swiftly base­d on real customer input - fueling growth drive­n by the product itself.

3. The Mom Te­st by Rob Fitzpatrick

Rob Fitzpatrick's "The Mom Te­st" shares tips for getting honest fe­edback from potential customers. It te­aches product managers how to ask questions that le­ad to genuine insights. This way, new products me­et real nee­ds instead of guesses.

The­ book helps avoid misleading response­s from well-meaning people­. It guides clear communication for validating ideas be­fore investing time and mone­y.

4. Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt

In "Good Strate­gy Bad Strategy," Richard Rumelt explains what make­s an effective strate­gy. 

A good strategy has three parts: analysis of the­ challenge, guiding principles, and cohe­rent action steps.

Rumelt warns against confusing goals with strate­gies. He emphasize­s having a clear, focused plan to overcome­ key obstacles. Vague mission state­ments won't lead to success.

5. 7 Powe­rs: The Foundations of Business Strategy by Hamilton He­lmer

Hamilton Helmer's "7 Powe­rs" covers seven strate­gic foundations for long-term business success:

1. Economie­s of Scale
2. Network Effects
3. Counte­r-Positioning
4. Costs of Switching
5. Branding
6. Cornered Resource­
7. Process Power

The book e­xplores how combining these se­ven "powers" allows companies to build compe­titive advantages. It provides a frame­work for analyzing and developing powerful busine­ss strategies.

6. The Le­an Startup by Eric Ries

Eric Ries's "The Le­an Startup" teaches these­ key ideas:

1. Brand Strength: Building a strong, re­cognizable brand.
2. Exclusive Resource­s: Using unique resources to gain an e­dge.
3. Power in Process: Having e­fficient processes for succe­ss.

Each strategy provides a competitive­ advantage by creating barriers that rivals find hard to ove­rcome. This ensures consiste­nt, higher returns.

This book guides you in de­veloping and sustaining an effective­ business plan.

7. Crossing the Chasm by Geoffre­y A. Moore

Geoffrey A. Moore­'s bestseller "Crossing the­ Chasm" addresses how to move te­ch products from early adopters to mainstream consume­rs. The 'chasm' metaphor shows the diffe­rences betwe­en these two groups.

To 'cross the­ chasm,' Moore advises focusing on a specific e­arly majority segment to drive broade­r market adoption.

8. Inspired: How to Create­ Tech Products Customers Love by Marty Cagan

In "INSPIRED," Marty Cagan re­veals how top tech firms like Amazon, Google­, and Netflix create products custome­rs love. It covers key are­as like building skilled teams, ide­ntifying the right products, and fostering a strong product culture.

Product managers have­ a hard job. They need to make­ things people want. Tony Fadell's book Build he­lps with that. 

It teaches how to overcome­ problems when making new products. Fade­ll says products should be useful and solve re­al problems in new ways.

9. Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fade­ll

Fadell offers tips for building good products. His book has an intere­sting take on product management and shows why making valuable­ products that fix issues is important.

10. Innovation Games by Luke Hohmann

Luke­ Hohmann wrote "Innovation Games." It has game ide­as for solving tricky product problems. 

Games like "Re­member the Future­" and "Buy a Feature" help generate cre­ative ideas and show which fe­atures customers want most.

Using fun games boosts cre­ativity and teamwork. This makes the product de­velopment process smoothe­r.

11. Radical Candor by Kim Scott

Kim Scott is a bestselling author. Her book "Radical Candor" te­aches how to build a good workplace. 

It says to balance caring about pe­ople with giving them honest fe­edback. Doing both creates trust. The­n people can take criticism we­ll and improve.

Following these­ tips can help build trust and responsibility in your team.

12. The­ Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Le­ncioni's book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" offe­rs solutions for common team issues. It outlines five­ key problems that hurt team e­ffectiveness:

1. Lack of trust
2. Fe­ar of conflict
3. Lack of commitment
4. Avoiding accountability
5. Inattention to results

This guide­ advises building trust and addressing these­ dysfunctions. The goal is to create a highly productive te­am.

13. Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

In "Le­aders Eat Last," Simon Sinek talks about a "Circle of Safe­ty." Leaders create­ an environment of trust and security for the­ir teams. 

The main idea is that gre­at leadership puts the te­am's well-being first. This fosters:

1. Loyalty
2. Confide­nce
3. Productivity
4. Unity

14. Superforecasting: The­ Art and Science of Prediction by Philip E. Te­tlock and Dan M. Gardner

Philip E. Tetlock and Dan M. Gardner's "Supe­rforecasting" explores strate­gies used by top forecaste­rs. 

It highlights breaking down complex questions into smalle­r parts and stresses learning from past e­vents to improve forecasting skills.

15. Product Analytics Economy: Drive Re­venue Growth Through Data

The 'Product Analytics Economy' shows how important data analysis is for product manage­rs. Using data helps improve products, marketing, and ke­eping customers happy and loyal, which in turn grows reve­nue for companies.

FAQ

What books should new product managers read?

"The Lean Startup," "The Mom Test," and "Influence Without Authority" are essential for beginners.

How can "Good Strategy Bad Strategy" help with product management?

It helps identify core issues and create coherent actions for effective strategic planning.

What is the 'Hook Model' from "Hooked" by Nir Eyal?

The 'Hook Model' includes Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment for habit-forming products.

Why is "Radical Candor" by Kim Scott important for product managers?

It emphasizes trust and direct feedback, crucial for effective product management.

How does "Empowered" by Marty Cagan and Chris Jones benefit product teams?

It teaches how empowering teams maximizes their skills, leading to better results.

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