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.
Discover the technical skills needed to succeed as a product manager and the building blocks of an effective product team.
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).
Don’t try to boil the ocean! Learn how to create an MVP (minimum viable product) that lets you fail fast and adapt.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Learn the basics of finance for product managers and understand how to read a profit and loss (P&L) statement.
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.
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.
Each student will have five minutes with Manjula for a mock interview (one question) with time for feedback.