HN Books @HNBooksMonth

Former PM here. The Product & Project management jobs vary tremendously by company, and even within a company. Your best bet is to reach out to people who've had similar jobs in the same company and ask them for advice.

That said, I highly recommend The Innovator's Dilemma[0] and Inspired: How to Create Products Customers Love[1]

[0]: http://www.amazon.com/The-Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Ma... [1]: http://www.amazon.com/Inspired-Create-Products-Customers-Lov...

I read this one: http://www.amazon.com/Inspired-Create-Products-Customers-Lov...

Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love by Marty Cagan

It's short, well written and covers several visions (product, engineering, etc).

⬐ rasoom

Thanks for the recommendation

I'll answer this, but, honestly, there are a lot of ways. Here's two paths.

//-- //

1. The traditional path

Product management is generally a role that you should take after you have some professional development under you belt. The best product managers I've met were at one time in the engineering/development pit.

That said, the simplest way is to get a job doing design/programming and make sure your employer knows that you'd like to move in that direction and agree that you'll be there in X years. Shadow and work with the PM's at the company.

If they don't move you in to a PM in the time, you can look elsewhere and with a few years of development under your belt you'd have a better chance of getting the management hire.

The key is that you make sure whatever you do, you show leadership and the fact that you're a self-starter.

//--//

2. The startup path

Go work (found) a startup and basically act as the project manager. If the org grows (which is a big if) you'll slowly become that role and hire people around you. If not, you'll have to try again. It's more risky but potentially could get you to a PM role faster.

In the end, I'd recommend you pick up Marty Cagan's "Inspired" http://www.amazon.com/Inspired-Create-Products-Customers-Lov... -- it discusses product management in much more detail.

To add a few that span outside entrepreneurship, but are of course very valuable to entrepreneurs:

Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love (http://www.amazon.com/Inspired-Create-Products-Customers-Lov...) - The best if not only required reading for product management

Peopleware (http://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects-Teams-S...) - Great read on managing and understanding people as it relates to organizations

Managing Humans (http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Humans-Humorous-Software-Engi...) - Obviously on management, you can read much on this http://randsinrepose.com/, though the book does a great job of consolidating it

⬐ jevanish

Great call on Inspired. Hands down the best Product book out there...haven't heard any others even in the conversation.

You should check out Inspired - How to create products customer love by Marty Cagan. I found it extremely concise and useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Inspired-Create-Products-Customers-Lov...