10 key lessons from Product Management at Product School

Or what I learned from becoming a Certified Product Manager with the PMC course at PS

Whether you're just starting out in the exciting world of product management or already a pro, there's always room to grow and expand your knowledge in this dynamic field. Acquiring new skills not only helps you stay on top of your game but also showcases your dedication to advancing your career.

Please note that Product School, PMC, as well as this blog, focus on the New Product Development and improvements of software products. There is a lot of transferrable knowledge to other domains, as well as concepts and lessons learned that can be applied elsewhere. It’s also worth noting that software can be quite complex, with many interdependencies, making skilled PMs valuable to other products.

Personally, I decided to enrol in the Product Management course offered by Product School to expand my skills. However, I believe this course can be valuable for individuals at any stage of their product management career, as many of the students in my course were already established product managers.

The exact curriculum may vary depending on the instructor and their expertise, but I have summarised some of the key takeaways based on my experience. The course was a mixture of theory and practical group projects, applying the concepts learned in class.

1. Exploring the Product Development Process

Throughout I had the opportunity to dive into the essential aspects of product development. This included gaining fundamental knowledge about the various stages of the lifecycle - idea generation, research, planning, prototyping, testing, product development, and ultimately taking the product to market. This comprehensive understanding of the entire product development journey provided me with amazing insights into the weight of each stage. Sunsetting, or discontinuing, a product was also mentioned but not explored in details.

2. Product Management Frameworks

I went through different frameworks used in product management, their output and goals vary.
For example, the AARRR framework (aka the Pirate Metrics, developed by Dave McClure, founder of 500 Startups) provides a systemic approach to analysing and optimising the stages of the customer lifecycle. It helps businesses identify areas for improvement and focus their efforts on the most impactful metrics. The name “AARRR” is an acronym that stands for the five stages of the customer lifecycle: Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, and Referral.
Other product management frameworks include the Kano model, Design Thinking, Circles, and more. Frameworks ensure a holistic view of the product's impact on customers and the business, helping you make more informed decisions.
By incorporating them into your product management toolkit, you can elevate your decision-making and ensure a more successful product journey.

3. Embracing Customer Centricity

Customers are why products exist! If nobody loves your product, nobody is gonna use it. The importance of understanding and prioritising the needs of your customers is one of the main pillars of PMs. As a product manager, placing the customer at the heart of the product development process is what makes great products.
The course provides techniques for getting to know your target customers on a deeper level. From crafting detailed user personas to conducting user research, I learned how to gather invaluable data that helps you make informed decisions. There are a lot of ways to do research and a lot of errors to account for in your statistical data, but PMs Love Data!
Additionally, the course highlighted thoroughly the importance of testing and validating product concepts directly with customers, allowing us to refine our offerings based on user feedback.
Ultimately, the journey towards customer-centricity has taught me that aligning your products with the needs and preferences of your customers not only fosters loyalty but also leads to more successful and impactful products as customers will promote and recommend the product themselves!

4. Product Strategy

The course helped me understand the core need of strategy when it comes to product management, as it provides a framework for product managers to make informed decisions about the direction and priorities of their products they need to align to.
Moreover, the course introduced various effective prioritisation methods, such as Moscow and RICE, which play a pivotal role in determining which features should be given top priority in the product development process.
With these strategic tools, product managers can confidently navigate the complex landscape of decision-making and drive their products toward greater goals.

5. Cross-functional Collaboration

A product management role requires collaboration with different departments and the course makes sure to prepare you for this and to give you tips on how to work productively with teams like engineering, design, marketing, and sales.
You learn how to effectively manage relations with all the stakeholders, including cross-functional teams, executives, and customers, to ensure that product development is aligned with business objectives.
By embracing a culture of open communication and cooperation, we have the opportunity to harness creativity and innovation, thus ensuring our products are primed for success in the market.

6. The Advantages of Agile Methodologies

The course also touched upon Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban and explored their significance in the product development process. The Agile methodologies are specifically designed to offer flexibility and adaptability in response to changing requirements and priorities. This allows product teams to respond to new information, feedback, or market changes quickly and efficiently.
The methodologies are built on the principle of continuous improvement, with iterative development cycles that incorporate customer feedback and testing.
This allows product teams to identify and fix issues early on, reducing the risk of costly errors later in the development process. By breaking the development process into smaller, more manageable chunks and prioritising collaboration and continuous improvement, Agile methodologies can help product teams deliver better products faster and with fewer resources.

7. Measuring Success & Vanity Metrics

One of the highlights of the course for me was the importance of measuring success. It is vital to set clear goals and focus your efforts on achieving those goals. Without clear metrics for success, product managers may be unclear about what they need to achieve, leading to inefficiency and wasted effort. And that results in money out the window plus frustrated engineers.
Measuring success also creates accountability for the product manager and the team. It ensures that they are held responsible for delivering results and meeting objectives. By measuring success, product managers can determine which products or features are successful and which ones need improvement or should be discontinued.
But it is crucial that the metrics you set showcase the real picture and are not vanity metrics, which may only serve to impress others but fail to provide meaningful insights or add value.

8. UX Design

We dove deep into understanding more about UX design, and how you should prioritise the needs, goals, and preferences of the user. The design of your product should be clear, consistent, and easy to navigate.
A crucial aspect we explored was ensuring accessibility for all individuals, including those using assistive technology, making the user experience inclusive and accommodating.
Also incorporating a process of testing and iteration is vital in UX design. Real users should be involved in testing the design, and based on the invaluable feedback and results from these tests, the design should undergo improvements.

9. Data Analysis

We explored the art of utilising data to drive informed decisions. Product managers must use data analysis to make decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions or personal biases. This enables them to identify problems, opportunities, and trends that may not be apparent otherwise. Data analysis can also help product managers identify areas of improvement for the product.
For example, they can track user behaviour and feedback to understand how users interact with the product and where they may be encountering problems.
Identifying market trends - data analysis can help product managers understand market trends and customer needs, ensuring that the product remains relevant and competitive.

10. Career Development

Another useful part of the course was its focus on helping you become a product manager if you aren’t already one. I learned about the various career paths available within product management field, as well as strategies for building my skills and advancing my career.
I had access to mentor sessions and was able to meet a lot of peers interested in the area I am in. There is also a Slack channel available, where you can meet a lot of like-minded people and stay in touch.
However, networking is key, and attending live events can also help you connect with peers and share experiences.

Enrolling in the Product Manager Certification course offered by Product School proved valuable for me. The course provided comprehensive coverage of various essential topics, including product development, customer-centricity, UX design, data analysis, and more. Equipped with the knowledge gained from the course, I successfully secured exciting product management interview opportunities and job offers.

Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below, I’m happy to help!