Principles of Product Management · How to Land a PM Job and Launch Your Product Career

Looking to become a product manager and launch your product career? Get best practices on leading without authority, building products, and acing your PM interviews that I learned on the job at Amazon, Facebook, and other leading technology companies.

Updated for 2020, Principles of Product Management is a hands-on, practical guide for new and aspiring product managers. The book has three parts: Principles: Part one covers the leadership principles that PMs use to lead their team to overcome adversity. When your product fails to gain traction, when your team falls apart, or when your manager gives you tough feedback—these are all opportunities to learn principles that will help you succeed. Product development: Part two covers how PMs at Facebook, Amazon, and other top companies build products. We'll walk through the end-to-end product development process— from understanding the customer problem to identifying the right product to build to executing with your team to bring the product to market. Getting the job: Part three covers how you can land a PM job and reach the interview stage at the right company. We'll prep you for the three most common types of PM interviews— product sense, execution, and behavioral—with detailed frameworks and examples for each.

Hear directly from product leaders at Airbnb, Amazon, Google, and more on: How to overcome challenging situations from a VP of Product at Amazon. How to build a great product roadmap from product leaders at LinkedIn and Airbnb. How Google, Airbnb, and other top companies evaluate PM candidates from leaders at those companies. How PMs can grow their career from a Director at Instagram and Twitter.

Table of Contents

1. Principles

Take Ownership

Prioritize and Execute

Start with Why

Find the Truth

Be Radically Transparent

Be Honest with Yourself

2. Product Development

Product Development Loop

Understanding the Customer Problem

Selecting a Goal Metric

Mission, Vision, and Strategy

Building a Product Roadmap

Defining Product Requirements

Great Project Management

Effective Communication

Making Good Decisions

3. Getting the Job

Preparing for the Transition

Making the Transition

Finding the Right Company

Acing your PM Interviews

Product Sense Interview

Execution Interview

Behavioral Interview

Your First 30 Days

4. Product Leader Interviews