Module 1: Mastering the Product Manager role

This module covers the fundamentals of the PM role.

• What is a Product ? Why Product Management ?
• Various definitions of the role;
• Difference between Project vs Product vs Business Analyst
• Is the PM really the CEO of the product
• Responsibilities of a PM (Market research, defining requirements, developing GTM strategy that includes pricing/support, Competitive analysis)
• Inbound vs Outbound PM and their skillsets
• Is Technology background essential to the PM role ?
• Skills needed to be a PM
• Learnings as a PM
• How is the PM success determined ?
• B2B vs B2C PM role differences
• A day in the life of a PM
• Exercise on this chapter

Module 2: Beginnings of a Product

This module covers how Products are conceived.

• Market Assessment
  • How are Product ideas discovered ?
  • Market Sizing
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Resources for market assessment
• Defining Product Vision
• Frameworks for Product strategy
• Building a business case
  • Defining Usecase(s)
  • Determining build/buy/partner strategy
  • Other types of partnerships
  • Building P&L statement
  • One metric that Finance looks at before a Product is committed to
  • Execute Commit process of a Product
• Building Product Roadmaps (external vs internal)
  • Feature Prioritization
• Exercises on this chapter

Module 3: Building the Product 

This module covers how Products are built.

• Engineering Methodologies (ex. Agile)
• Product Architecture – What is it and why is it needed ?
• Product Components and various stakeholders
• Product Release Cadence
• Product Development Tools for a PM
  • Requirements
  • Mockups
  • Customer Journeys
  • Lean UX and Design Thinking
  • CI/CD tools (for knowledge only)
• Product Metrics
  • B2B vs B2C
  • Developing your own metrics
  • Tools for tracking Product Metrics
• Exercise on this chapter

Module 4: Taking Product to the Market 

This module covers the GTM related items of the Product strategy.

• Building GTM strategy
  • Large company vs small company
• Things to make sure at the launch
  • Support
  • Finance
  • Organization gates for the GTM process
• Pricing
  • Types of pricing
  • Pricing models
  • Tiered pricing
• Interaction with Marketing
• Interaction with Sales/Business Development
• Interaction with Services/Support
• Interaction with Legal
• Interaction with Finance

Bonus Module : Resume, Interviews and Next Level

This module covers topics around transitioning and then growing as a Product Manager

• Top 3 ways to transition to Product Mgmt; How to initiate these ways
• Product Manager Interview types
• Product Manager interview prep
• Sample question bank
• How to answer various type of interview questions
• Once you transition, how do you grow to a Director level position ?
• Negotiation strategies that have worked for my students
• Mockup interview practice