
Ask HN: Taking on Some Product Manager Responsibilities: Book Recommendations? - anm89
I work at 12 person startup which has both a hardware and a software component to our product.<p>I am a front end developer here (the only one and the only designer although I am not much of a designer) and have designed our website up to this point but the decisions about what to build have mostly come down from above.<p>I was recently offered to become head of software product and take more of an active role in user research and product roadmapping. I was wondering if HN had any recommendations for books that would help me transition into a PM role.<p>So basically what are some good books that will help me think like a more of a product manager?
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seekingcharlie
This is a great guide: [http://www.khoslaventures.com/wp-
content/uploads/Good_Produc...](http://www.khoslaventures.com/wp-
content/uploads/Good_Product_Manager_Bad_Product_Manager_KV.pdf)

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anm89
I had seen this a while back, probably on here, but it is exactly the kind of
thing I am looking for and will definitely read it over a couple more times.

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seekingcharlie
Yep! I've followed a similar path to you (designer transitioned to PM) and I
return to this doc at least once a month as a refresher.

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paulcole
I just finished YOUR STARTUP IS BROKEN: INSIDE THE TOXIC HEART OF TECH CULTURE
and found the section on management very eye-opening and full of practical
advice. Highly recommended, although not project management specific.

[http://model-view-culture.myshopify.com/products/your-
startu...](http://model-view-culture.myshopify.com/products/your-startup-is-
broken)

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PaulHoule
Get these two

[http://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Development-Taming-Software-
Sche...](http://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Development-Taming-Software-
Schedules/dp/1556159005)

and

[http://www.amazon.com/Software-Estimation-Demystifying-
Devel...](http://www.amazon.com/Software-Estimation-Demystifying-Developer-
Practices/dp/0735605351)

If you want to get deeper into project management I suggest that you become a
member of the PMI and possibly get certification from them. The training and
testing are rigorous and it is a certification that means something both from
the knowledge you get and the benefit of having it on your resume.

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narrowrail
The OP discusses Product Management, which usually falls in the Marketing
Dept. (at most corporations I've been and heard of), while you are suggesting
project management and engineering management books. I'm not sure that makes
sense; and, being at a startup I'm not sure certification of any kind would be
worth the time.

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diggum
There's a great Slack resource available for PM's I'd recommend joining for
contacts and advice: productmanagerhq.slack.com

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rahimnathwani
Overview of being a PM:

\- Inspired

\- The Product Manager's Desk Reference

\- The Lean Startup

\- Agile Product Management with Scrum

Targeted at interview preparation, but good for breadth:

\- Decode & Conquer

\- Cracking the PM interview

Other good books for PMs:

\- Talking to Humans

\- Hooked

\- The Design of Everyday Things

\- Zero to One

\- Traction

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edimaudo
A better option might be to talk to product managers in your area in person.

