Progression TIPS

SEE ALL TIPS

GET THE LATEST TIPS EACH WEEK

Get product resources, conference updates, along with access to an exclusive Slack channel by subscribing below.

Why Women Make the Best Product Managers

Marty Cagan believes that women are more likely to have traits beneficial in the field of Product Management. If he’s right or not (and he does admit he’s generalizing), there’s a lot here we can all aspire to. Having a balanced ego, humility and stamina are worthwhile goals for us all, professionally and personally.

OPEN

What Makes a Great Product Manager?

Ben Horowitz’s “The Hard Thing about Hard Things” is an essential read for those who want to become a great Product Manager. While reading the book, Lawrence Ripsher was reminded of impressive behaviors his colleagues had demonstrated over the years. He’s listed 20 of these, each worth reading in detail.

OPEN

What Distinguishes the Top 1% of Product Managers from the Top 10%?

You can be a good Product Manager. Or a great one. But what would make you one of the 1% of Product Managers that consistently excel at their jobs? Ian McAllister offers a list of abilities that this person must have. For instance, along with having a firm grasp on the big picture items such as market opportunities and positioning, this person must be a superior communicator.

OPEN

What’s the Career Path for a Great Product Manager?

Your progress depends on how good a Product Manager you are. As we know, there is a breadth of knowledge resources out there to learn from. But Max McKenzie gives a nice overview of how your skills should improve your career. You must be able to talk to people, understand data and be able to control your emotions.

OPEN

The Career Dilemma: Hunter Walk’s Advice to Product Managers

You have to question whether you want to continue directly managing product, or become a manager of people doing this work. Hunter Walk, during his time at Linden Labs and YouTube, realized that progress needn’t mean the latter.

OPEN

What is the Career Progression for a Product Manager?

As the Product Managment profession has matured over the past few decades, a hierarchy of product roles has evolved. A career Product Manager can simply jump from level to level, should they perform well in their jobs. If you are newer to the role, this list of common titles that exist along that path from Junior to VP, is useful to see.

OPEN

Ode to a Non-Technical Product Manager

Many product managers and would-be product managers who do not have a strong technical background can’t help but feel a little insecure. Particularly if they happen to be working with a highly skilled, super smart team building a high-tech product. Should they have technical skills on par with the rest of the team? Hunter Walk argues no, that it’s more important for that person to be technically curious, but hold one superpower that separates her from the generalists.

OPEN

Related Tips