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Resources: Module 01 — Introduction to Product Management

Verified resources specifically relevant to this module's content. For the full topic resource list, see ../../RESOURCES.md.


Essential Reading for This Module

  1. SVPG — The Role of the Product Manager by Marty Cagan — A foundational short essay defining what a PM actually does. Read before or alongside Module 01.

  2. Good Product Manager / Bad Product Manager by Ben Horowitz (originally written 1996, published on a16z.com) — A classic essay on the PM role that remains highly relevant. Written in direct, contrasting pairs that make the points concrete.

  3. Shape Up, Chapter 1: Introduction — Basecamp's framing of the product management problem. Contrarian but grounded. Free online.


Books

Title Author What to Read Notes
Inspired (2nd ed.) Marty Cagan Chapters 1–5 (Part 1: Lessons from Top Tech Companies) The foundational Silicon Valley PM model. Read Part 1 for this module.
Continuous Discovery Habits Teresa Torres Chapter 1 (The Discovery Mindset) Sets up the discovery vs. delivery distinction in depth.

Short Articles and Posts

  • "The Product Manager Role" — Any current SVPG article by Marty Cagan on svpg.com covers this material
  • "What makes someone a great product manager?" — Search for Lenny Rachitsky's writing on lennysnewsletter.com on PM greatness — he has conducted extensive surveys of PMs at top companies

Videos

[!NOTE] All YouTube links above are search links rather than specific video links to avoid linking to videos that may be removed. Search for the speaker name + topic for current results.


For a Complete Resource List

See the topic-level RESOURCES.md.