Updated: October 2, 2024- 14 min read
Excelling as a product manager requires continuous learning and growth, and there's no better way to jumpstart your career in product or take it to the next level than by diving into the best product management books available. But where to start? As you know, there are a ton of books about product management to choose from!
With so many options, we thought it best to reach out to some of our inspiring instructors and ask them about the product books they loved, the ones that made them think, and the ones they wish had been around at the beginning of their product management careers! What’s more, they share why they recommend each book to give you an even better idea of where it fits into the product manager’s journey. Keep reading to find out about the best books on product management according to inspiring Product Leaders at Amazon, Apple, Booking.com, Google, Product School, Spotify, Uber and YouTube.
We divided the list below into four categories:
Books for beginning and aspiring PMs
Product strategy books
Books on product development
Product leadership books
We also included a section on the top product management books that you can download for free from the Product School Library!
Best Product Management Books for Beginners
Kickstart your journey in product management with these essential reads. These books provide foundational knowledge and skills to help you understand and thrive in the dynamic world of product management.
Influence without Authority by Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford
Navigating the complex dynamics of influence is crucial for any product manager. Influence without Authority equips you with the strategies to persuade and motivate your team without relying on formal power. This book is essential for building the collaborative relationships needed to drive your product vision forward, even when you don't have direct control.
Recommended by Stacy Cronin — Group Product Manager at YouTube:
“This is a key skill for PMs because our success depends so much on getting others excited and on board with our plans, ideas, and experiments, yet we rarely have the official authority to tell people what to do (not that telling people what to do works very well even when you are the 'boss'!)”
Statistics Done Wrong: The Woefully Complete Guide by Alex Reinhart
This book addresses common mistakes in the interpretation and application of statistics in scientific research. It provides a comprehensive guide to understanding statistical errors and how to avoid them, ensuring that product teams use data effectively and make informed decisions.
Recommended by Niels Koek — Group Product Manager at Booking.com:
“The best product companies integrate data in their product development cycle and use experimentation to find the best solution for their customers. Despite their best intentions, a lack of understanding of data, or poor experimentation practices often lead to wrong conclusions. This book shows real-life examples of that and explains the flawed statistics behind them. You'll be surprised how often things go wrong, and this book will help you avoid common mistakes when working with data and experimentation.”
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Change is a constant in product management, and Switch by Chip and Dan Heath is your go-to guide for navigating it successfully. The book delves into the psychology of change and provides actionable strategies for making difficult transitions smoother. Whether you're trying to innovate your product, change your team’s processes, or influence your company's strategy, this book offers practical advice to help you succeed.
Recommended by Niels Koek — Group Product Manager at Booking.com:
“Every product manager will quickly run into a challenge where they want to make a change. This book describes why change is sometimes hard and describes methods on how to effectively change things when they are.”
Top Product Strategy Books
Discover the best books on product strategy that will equip you with the frameworks and insights needed to develop successful and sustainable choices. These reads are crucial for any product manager looking to master the art of strategic planning.
7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy by Hamilton Helmer
In 7 Powers, Helmer breaks down the fundamental sources of enduring business advantage. The book provides a clear and actionable framework that helps you understand and create strategies that stand the test of time. Whether you're working in a startup or a large corporation, these insights will help you build products and companies with lasting competitive edge.
Recommended by Debankur Naskar — Group Product Manager at Apple and by Yana Yushkina — Group Product Manager at Google, who called 7 Powers:
“A strategy book that is easy to apply in real life to design winning strategies for products.”
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Through the engaging story of a manufacturing plant manager, Goldratt introduces concepts of constraints and process optimization that are highly relevant to product management. This book will help you see your products and processes in a new light and uncover ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Recommended by Stacy Cronin — Group Product Manager at YouTube:
“This is a super fun story of identifying and solving problems in a manufacturing company. The concepts of constraints and sequencing are completely transferable to software product management.”
Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard Rumelt
Good Strategy Bad Strategy offers a clear and compelling analysis of what makes a strategy effective or ineffective. Rumelt cuts through the jargon and provides practical frameworks for crafting strong, actionable strategies that drive real results. This book is a must-read for any product manager looking to elevate their strategic thinking and create impactful, sustainable plans.
Recommended by Dejan Krstic — Group Product Manager at Spotify:
“I like the book 'Good Strategy Bad Strategy' because it clearly distinguishes between effective and ineffective strategies, providing practical frameworks for creating strong, actionable plans. Rumelt calls this an action agenda. It offers insightful examples and deep analysis that enhance strategic thinking skills.”
Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke
Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke is a masterclass in decision-making under uncertainty. Drawing on her experiences as a professional poker player, Duke offers profound insights into how to make better decisions and learn from the outcomes, even when you don't have all the facts. This book is invaluable for product managers who need to navigate the ambiguous and often high-stakes world of product development and strategy.
Recommended by Debankur Naskar — Group Product Manager at Apple and by Yana Yushkina — Group Product Manager at Google, who said:
“Decision making… is by far the most important skill a product manager can have (in my opinion) and the hardest to perfect.”
Best Books on Product Development
Dive into the best product development books that provide practical advice and innovative techniques for building exceptional products. These reads are perfect for product managers focused on driving development processes to build products that meet and exceed customer expectations.
Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell
Tony Fadell, the creator of the iPod and Nest Thermostat, shares his lessons and insights on creating products that truly matter. It offers practical advice on every stage of product development, from conceiving groundbreaking ideas to bringing them to market, making it a must-read for anyone involved in creating products that matter.
Recommended by Salman Malik — Principal Product Manager at Amazon
Innovation Games: Creating Breakthrough Products Through Collaborative Play by Luke Hohmann
This book presents a series of engaging, interactive games designed to help teams and organizations uncover innovative product ideas and solutions. Through collaborative play, it demonstrates how to extract valuable insights and generate breakthrough ideas that can lead to successful product development.
Recommended by Niels Koek — Group Product Manager at Booking.com:
“We want to build innovative products that solve problems for our customers; this book describes practical methods you can use to get the most innovative ideas and solutions from your product team. If you want to create an innovative product that stands out from the competition: read this book.”
The Mom Test: How to Talk to Customers & Learn If Your Business is a Good Idea When Everyone is Lying to You by Rob Fitzpatrick
Rob Fitzpatrick’s guide focuses on how to effectively communicate with customers to validate business ideas. It offers techniques to get honest, actionable feedback, even when customers might be reluctant to give it, helping to ensure that product development efforts are aligned with real customer needs.
Recommended by: Debankur Naskar — Group Product Manager at Apple
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
This groundbreaking book introduces a methodology for developing businesses and products through validated learning, rapid experimentation, and a constant focus on customer feedback. Ries' approach helps entrepreneurs and product managers minimize waste, optimize resources, and pivot quickly.
Recommended by Mariana Abdala — VP of Product at Product School:
“I love the lean startup principles because they're straightforward, they can be implemented by teams and companies of all sizes and levels of maturity, and they're effective in getting teams to collaborate on delivering core customer value without getting bogged down in unnecessary features or process.”
Essential Product Leadership Books
Explore these top product leadership books that offer invaluable guidance on how to lead and inspire. These books are designed to help product managers cultivate leadership skills that foster collaborative and successful teams.
Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen
Agile Retrospectives is a vital resource for any team aiming to continuously improve. The book provides a variety of techniques for conducting retrospectives, which are structured meetings designed to help teams reflect on their recent work and identify opportunities for improvement. This guide is perfect for product managers looking to foster an environment of continuous learning and incremental progress, making good teams even better.
Niels Koek — Group Product Manager at Booking.com:
“You might be working with a good product team, but how do you make a good team great? The retrospective is a great tool to iteratively enhance the performance of your team, leading to better output. This book describes several retrospective techniques that can be employed in various situations.”
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team uses a compelling narrative to explore common challenges that teams face. The book provides a framework for understanding and addressing issues like lack of trust, fear of conflict, and avoidance of accountability. Whether you're leading a team or part of one, this book offers valuable insights to improve team cohesion and performance.
Recommended by Stacy Cronin — Group Product Manager at YouTube:
“A great book to read on your own or to read together with your team if you're hitting some friction or frustration with team dynamics. It provides a simple framework for identifying and talking about what's going well and where you could improve.”
And by Niels Koek — Group Product Manager at Booking.com:
“This book helps you recognize signs of a dysfunctional team and offers insights on how to fix it.”
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
Radical Candor is an essential read for anyone leading a team or striving to improve their interpersonal dynamics at work. Scott’s approach to direct and compassionate feedback helps build strong, trusting relationships that drive performance and collaboration. This book is packed with practical advice on how to give and receive feedback in a way that fosters growth and enhances team dynamics.
Recommended by Sirisha Machiraju — Director of Product at Uber:
“Given PMs work so cross-functionally, the ability to influence without authority is so key to be successful. This book is good to review as a refresher, especially when you start working with new people.”
And by Dejan Krstic — Group Product Manager at Spotify:
“I like the book 'Radical Candor' because it emphasizes the importance of direct, honest feedback while maintaining a strong sense of empathy and care. It provides practical advice for building better relationships and improving team performance.”
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Best Free Product Books to Download Today
Unlock a treasure trove of knowledge with our collection of free eBooks on product management. These essential reads cover a wide range of topics, from foundational skills for beginners to advanced strategies and leadership insights, making them perfect additions to any product manager’s reading list. Download today and start enhancing your product management expertise.
The Product Book — #1 Amazon bestseller
After helping numerous students transition to product management, Product School offers a holistic understanding of a Product Manager’s job as we build upon a product chapter by chapter. Learn from the same instructors who created Product School’s product management curriculum!
Hired: How to Get a Product Management Job
After years of working with and learning from today’s top Product Leaders, we’ve condensed their knowledge into this all-in-one guide to starting your PM career. Download Hired to learn everything you need to build an irresistible resume.
Ship It: Silicon Valley Product Managers Reveal All
Inside ‘Ship It’ you will find specific advice and general wisdom about Product Management, with chapters written by inspiring Product Leaders like Satya Singh, Expedia Principal Product Manager, and Mariano Capezzani - Head of Group Product Management at HSBC.
Product Analytics Economy: Drive Revenue Growth Through Data
Delivering an exceptional digital experience is the only way to earn trust and drive revenue growth. In this book, learn the fundamentals of Product Analytics, discover how to implement Product-Led Growth, and uncover how YouTube is preparing to onboard its next billion users.
Product Mindset: How to Get Inside Your Customer’s Mind
To build products that people love, you need to understand the conditions of their lives, and the intricacies of their state of mind. Learn to drive sustainable growth through obsessing over your customer – lower cost of customer acquisition, and increase retention, and drive revenue.
Digital User Journeys: The Key to Winning the Product Experience Game
Make your product stand out from the fierce competition by helping your users easily extract value from your product. From Product School and Gainsight, this playbook is packed with actionable prompts, industry insights and case studies to help you differentiate your product, captivate your users, and drive sustainable growth.
Building vs Buying Analytics
Drive growth with embedded analytics—a modern, streamlined approach to extract and analyze data. Check out this in-depth look into the benefits of embedded analytics solutions, and how to integrate them into your tech stack. Embedded Analytics is Good For Everyone
High-quality Business Intelligence (BI) holds the key to sustainable digital transformation and effective business growth.
A Deeper Path to Personalization: How RFM Segmentation Can Deliver More Personalized Engagement
Brands that want to connect with users know that personalization is the key to engagement, growth, and retention. Traditional segmentation methods fall short on delivering relevant, individualized experiences. RFM Segmentation offers a new and better path—learn how to use RFM to drive Growth & Engagement.
The Power of the Product Manager Reading List
When we reached out to the Product Leaders quoted above, they all got back to us in a flash with a selection of their top product management books. It just goes to show that you don’t get to where these folks are in their product management careers without hunkering down with a good book from time to time!
The tried-and-true titles featured here are prized for their practical wisdom and real-world applicability. Give them a read to face your backlog or attend your next meeting with new ideas and a fresh perspective. Happy reading!
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Updated: October 2, 2024
