What's in your Q4 product reading list?

  • 14 October 2021
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scott.baldwin
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@Gotothepark recently shared his suggested product book list at our Growing Strong Product Makers event. I’m curious about what books are in your product reading stack and getting your attention today.

Here’s a couple of mine up next:

Radical Product Thinking by R. Dutt

This one came from the work done on the radical product toolkit a methodology for building visionary products. Radical Product Thinking (RPT) gives organizations a repeatable model for building world-changing products. The key? Being vision-driven instead of iteration-led. 

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Time is our biggest worry: there is too little of it. The award winning, renowned Guardian columnist Oliver Burkeman offers a lively, entertaining philosophical guide to time and time management, setting aside superficial efficiency solutions in favour of reckoning with and finding joy in the finitude of human life.

Human Centered Communication: A Business Case Against Digital Pollution by Ethan Beute and Stephen Pacinelli

This one was a recommendation from @Gotothepark and I just ordered it. I love the idea of more thoughtful, human, and personal communication and definitely need to up my video game in this community.

What’s in your product-related reading list?

 

Community Lead & Product Evangelist, Productboard

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Niels Vynckier
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Nice topic! 

On my reading list is the very starting point I think, Inspired by Marty Cagan. 
Really need to get reading and away from my computer :grinning:
That is my main problem: it’s far more satisfying on short term to read shorter and flashier content online than reading a book. But when I do get reading, I really enjoy it. 

-goes to the bookshelf right now- 

Niels Vynckier - Product Manager at Book'u
scott.baldwin
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A great choice @Niels Vynckier! You also get that one in audio format and enjoy on a ride too. Though reading in cozy spot over a Belgian ale is always good too. 🍺

Community Lead & Product Evangelist, Productboard
david.morgan
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Here’s a few books on my backlog right now (ha): 

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days (Jake Knapp) 

I’ve been wanting to take a strong look at our discovery phase. We’ve been utilizing an ad hoc variation of Basecamp’s “Shape Up Methodology” (with a blend of Agile). This was a recommendation from another product manager who said this book has an interesting blend of the two from a discovery perspective, so giving it a whirl. 

Productize: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Professional Services into Scalable Products (Eisha Armstrong) 

I got this book around the time it came out but haven’t jumped into it just yet. While I’ve primarily worked in the SaaS space, I do believe that services are products in their own way. I’ve also been pondering the concept of being a consultant in the product space; which, of course, means flipping the script to deliver those services as a product. 

The Red Book (C.G. Jung) 

Recently finished “The Black Books” so “The Red Book” is up next. Not really product related, but I like straying away from the product-space when reading. Every book so far has been beautiful and mind-blowing on so many levels. 

The Storyteller (Dave Grohl)

After getting through Flea’s “Acid for the Children: A Memoir” - I felt jumping into Grohl’s novel wouldn’t be a bad experience either. Grohl and Flea both have had some amazing stories over the years, from their breadth of experiences. I’m hoping The Storyteller is similar to Acid for the Children, in the realm of a musical legend’s memoir of absurdity, mental peace, and epiphanies over the years. 

scott.baldwin
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Nice list @david.morgan. You’ll love Sprint. Do check out Jake Knapp’s MTP talk about this. I haven’t read Productized before, putting that one in my “later” pile. 
 

And the non-product stuff is good too. Some hearty and compelling ones there with Jung and Grohl. 

Community Lead & Product Evangelist, Productboard
Niels Vynckier
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So, I’ve added some to my list:

  • Escaping the build trap / Melissa Perri: about customer centricity, outcomes over outputs and so on. The title of the book relates to many companies that fall into the trap of cranking out features without knowing what to build or why. Should be very interesting for me! 
  • Never split the difference / Chris Voss: this book is not about product, but about negotiation techniques. It’s written my a former FBI hostage negotiator and should help the reader feel when he/she is being influenced and help influence others, especially as a Product Manager in negotiation with C-level management. (cfr. the HIPPO challenge!) 

 

Niels Vynckier - Product Manager at Book'u
scott.baldwin
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Both are great reads @Niels Vynckier — you’ll get a ton of learning from them. Enjoy!

Community Lead & Product Evangelist, Productboard
Hasso
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The Product Book: How to Become a Great Product Manager by Josh Anon and Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia 

 

 

Hasso
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Radical Product Thinking by R. Dutt

This one came from the work done on the radical product toolkit a methodology for building visionary products. Radical Product Thinking (RPT) gives organizations a repeatable model for building world-changing products. The key? Being vision-driven instead of iteration-led. 

I have read this and its very insightful :) 

scott.baldwin
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@Hasso I don’t know where you find the time 🕙

Community Lead & Product Evangelist, Productboard
Hasso
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@Hasso I don’t know where you find the time 🕙

:D hahah 30 min commuting to work and 30 back :D 

darren.smith
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Radical Product Thinking by R. Dutt

This one came from the work done on the radical product toolkit a methodology for building visionary products. Radical Product Thinking (RPT) gives organizations a repeatable model for building world-changing products. The key? Being vision-driven instead of iteration-led. 

I have read this and its very insightful :) 

I agree, I really enjoyed Radical Product Thinking and it has provided me with a very different perspective.

I have also read and would recommend:

  • Think Again by Adam Grant
  • The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Ken Blanchard

and I am currently reading:

  • Strong Product People by Petra Wille
tjh
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I’m currently reading:

  1. “Loops” by J Cornelius - Good walk-thru of the ins and outs of the process of taking a product from idea to design.
     
  2.  “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Comer - Good reminders and useful practices to slow down in life — especially in a world of hurry.
     
  3. “Good Strategy / Bad Strategy” by Richard Rumelt - While a bit dense of a book, it provides insightful perspectives on what makes a good or bad strategy. 
     
  4. “Excellence Wins” by Horst Schulze - a focus on building a culture of excellence in an organization. It’s written for the organization at large, but the principles could work within smaller product-focused teams.
michelle.fifis
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Thank you @tjh! These all sound like they will be extremely helpful, especially #2 around this time of year.

Michelle Fifis
scott.baldwin
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Thanks for the additional suggestions @darren.smith and @tjh - some good ones there that I’ll need to add to my pile of reading in the future.

Community Lead & Product Evangelist, Productboard

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