In Preparation for a Product Management Career

Question: If I have the summer off from university, what would you recommend I do to set myself up for a Product Manager career (besides books)?

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My 2 cents:

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1. Train yourself on asking why

Open up betalist & practice making a product vision canvas for one app/day. Define the audience, value proposition, cost, revenue model etc. Ask why.

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2. Practice wireframing

Start by mastering the tool. Open up Themeforest & attempt to replicate an admin template page each day.

Then, create designs for your own ideas.

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3. Listen to the best

Go for a run & listen to podcasts like This Is Product Management, Inside Intercom and Built.

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4. Embrace the power of data

Take a short course on machine learning & data analytics on Udemy. Go to Kaggle & download a public dataset to apply those skills on.

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5. Find a problem to work on

Identify an issue in your close circle that is solvable by tech. Design a solution. Better yet, build it.

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6. Absorb what it's really like

Reach out to Product Managers in LinkedIn, prepare a questionnaire and invite them for a virtual session to ask them about their day.

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7. Learn from the best

Watch Product School videos and attend their AMAs on Slack.

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