Are you an aspiring Product Manager looking to start a career in Product Management? Well, that makes the two of us.

As a newbie, I started this year intentionally by immersing myself in quality resources I could find on Product Management.

A quick Google search for the 'best product management resources' provides an overwhelming number of options, so I've rounded up my favorites for you to kickstart your PM adventure with ease.

Let's get started, shall we?

Courses

Pro Tip: Start with testing the waters (free courses) to measure your interest before taking the deep plunge(paid courses). All the resources outlined below can be gotten for FREE.

• Introduction to Product Management by Emergn on edX - I enjoyed how interesting and informative this course was. Broken down to short videos, it introduced PM principles, definitions, terms, lingos, tools and practices. It takes about 2 - 3 weeks to finish this course but I finished it in a week because my schedule allowed it. It is important to block out time in a frequency that fits your lifestyle.

• Product Management Fundamentals by the University of Maryland on edX - This course is a gold mine. I went a little deeper exploring Product Lifecycle, Innovative Product Teams, Customer Development, Marketing Challenges and Crossing the Chasm. In this course, you are doing more than scratching the surface and learning about what it takes to build the right products and build the products right. This took about 10 days to complete.

• Becoming a Product Manager - a complete guide on LinkedIn - My favorite thing about this practical course asides from it being packed with valuable insights, is how ADHD-friendly it is. Super long modules but interesting and somewhat exciting. This course covers everything from Introduction to Product Management to Market analysis to Communication to Designing and running experiments. Every module has quizzes and exercises for evaluation. This course also provides tips on how to position yourself for PM jobs.

• Establishing a Product-Market Fit by the University of Maryland on Coursera - This course is to develop skills in Product Development. You begin to learn how to target customers, define value-proposition, and create MVP. This is also where you begin testing and iterating to improve product-market fit. Don't worry, these confusing terms will become familiar soon enough.

Other paid courses you can explore:

• Product Management Level 1 by Entry Level - $7

• Product Management School by Utiva - Between N55,000 (Discounted) - N200,000

• Transition into Product Management by Product Dive - N200,000

• The Product School Certification - $1,599

Books

These are books to consolidate the knowledge and skills gotten from the courses. I mostly read when I got exhausted from consuming video content. If you are not a big reader, you can check out podcast/YT video recommendations too.

• The Product Book by The Product School - This book helps you get a holistic understanding of a Product Manager's job.

• When Coffee and Kale Compete by Alan Klement - This book highlights mistakes we should avoid as innovators. It also helps you become better at creating and selling products that people will buy.

• Hired by The Product School - A short guide to landing your first job in Product Management.

• Product Management in Practice by Matt Lema - A practical and tactical guide for Product Managers.

Blogs

• The Department of Product by Richard Holmes and Jason Leonard

• Women in Product by various authors

• Sachin Rekhi by Sachin

Podcasts

• This is Product Management by Feedback Loop

• The Product Podcast by The Product School

• Product Thinking with Melissa Perri

YouTube Videos

• The Product School

• The Product Gym

To round up, here are some things I tried that helped me stay consistent:

• Join a community or have an accountability partner. I can’t emphasize how helpful this is.

  I have an accountability partner and she helps me stay consistent through daily reminders, weekly check-ins, and monthly goal reviews. I would recommend it.

• Take notes: Write out interesting things you have learned. You can do this on a notepad, blog, or Social Media platform. This helps for reference.

• Create a schedule that works for you based on your lifestyle. How many hours weekly/daily can you dedicate to learning and assignments?

• Finish one course before starting another. Take them in order not simultaneously.

• Explore! Read articles, and join live sessions.

I am super excited about my Product Management journey and can’t wait to see where it goes. I hope you are too!

Please leave a comment or share other resources you find useful.

Ciao.