Since computers and digital technology have become so ubiquitous in contemporary life, creating good software and technology products has become an important business function. Many (exceeding 50%) technology products fail, despite significant design, engineering, and financial efforts. How can we make this process more efficient and profitable? That’s the job of a relatively new job title: the product manager. In this book, Marty Cagan discusses how to fulfill this role in an organization so that success is realized by all parties.
Of note, this book is in a second edition, a feat that many technical books do not accomplish. And this book offers a more comprehensive and in-depth discussion about the role of product managers than any other text I’ve read to date. It discusses the critical tasks of identifying and confronting potential failure points early so that money and effort won’t be wasted. It also explores a cornucopia of niche topics that can polish the skillset of even experienced product managers.
While there is much positive in this book, I simply do not like the title. Professionally, I am a software developer who engages in many business activities, so I see much of product creation in my domain or tangential to my domain. This book talks more about structuring a business so that it can create products. Thus, it’s one step removed and focuses specifically on being a successful product manager. There’s nothing wrong with that approach, but a title about inspiring creativity seems not to correspond with the text of the book. It’s not about product creation directly and more about managing product creation.
All that said, Cagan offers readers a lot in this book. The Silicon Valley Product Group, of which he is a member, does industry-leading work in this space, so anyone interested in learning from the best can benefit from perusing this book. Those organizing a team to create tech products, whether at a small firm or an established venture, can benefit from this work. Indeed, this book is one of the few titles that can raise the game of even experienced product managers. Finally, of course, those who aspire to fill this role will find a helpful introduction here. This field and this new role continue to evolve rapidly, like the technologies, but this description of product management is one of the best, if not the very best, out there.
Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love
By Marty Cagan
2nd Edition
Copyright (c) 2018
Audible Studios
ASIN B07BDQVC45
Length: 7:45
Genre: Business, Software/Technology
Sponsored link to www.amazon.com