5 books every Product Manager should read

Posted on 1/3/2023, 3:50:39 PM

There are many books out there that you could read. We spent a lot of time reading business books to bring you the top books that every product manager should read. These are books that will make you a better product leader. 

They will teach you how to build products that people will want to use. They'll teach you how to manage teams and be good at your work. If you want to expand your understanding of product management, keep reading. 

The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen is a classic book that examines the paradox of companies struggling with disruptive technology. It provides a framework for product managers to help them understand disruptive innovation and take charge in their industry.

No book has significantly impacted product management more than The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. It will walk you through how to rapidly experiment and iterate to create products that people want to use. Aspiring product managers should read this book if they are looking to build and scale their products efficiently and effectively. If you want to learn how to create products in a rapidly changing environment, read this book. 

Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love by Marty Cagan is an excellent book for product managers looking to build products that resonate with customers. It discusses creating a strong product culture, building effective product teams, and driving innovation within your organization. Focused on customer-centered design and agile development methodologies, you'll learn to create products that last. 

Have you heard of the Product School? The Product School provides courses on Product Management. Former Pixar PM and Product School CEO wrote a book about product management called The Product Book: How to Become a Great Product Manager. It outlines everything about being a product manager and leading a product team. It will show you how to build incredible products.

Moreover, it discusses how to excel at product management interviews, build a great team, and cooperate with other departments. Most of the lessons in the book are based on the existing Product School curriculum. It's filled with practical lessons, expert tips, and best practices to answer the question: What does a product manager do? 

Written before the digital revolution, Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey More explains how products go from an idea to become commonplace. Early adopters take the risk to try your product. The Early Majority crowd is skeptical and waits for the product to become more known before taking a chance. Product managers' biggest challenge is crossing the gap between early adopters and the majority. The book explains how to do so -- how to get more people to use your product.

Ben Horowitz is a famous entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. His book The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers is a must-read. It's filled with practical wisdom about creating and running a startup. It doesn't try to romanticize startup life but focuses on the harsh realities of building a startup. Horowitz writes about the lessons he learned managing, supervising, and developing tech startups. It will help you run lean startups. The book will also help you build and grow a startup.

If you want to be a product manager or if you want to grow your skills as a product manager, we recommend that you read the books above. They will give you a good understanding of what the role takes and help you build products that people want to use. If you need help, you can always book a call with a seasoned product manager mentor at mentordial.com.