Becoming a Technical Product Manager: A Learning Journey
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Chapter 1: My Learning Journey
In this series, I will share my experiences aimed at enhancing my technical skills as a Product Manager in an early-stage startup. My hope is that this will inspire your own growth and help you utilize the resources and frameworks I present. If you haven't yet explored the previous articles in this series, I recommend starting there!
Section 1.1: Why Enhance Technical Skills?
Progress is being made in organizing my learning materials, albeit gradually. I've been fitting study time around my work and gym schedule, but an upcoming full study day is on the horizon, allowing me an uninterrupted eight-hour block to focus.
What has surprised me the most throughout this process is the insight I've gained about learning itself. Perhaps it’s been years since I embarked on a significant learning project from scratch, or maybe it’s the realization of how much I still have to learn. Below are three key insights I've gathered, along with a reading list to kickstart your journey.
Video Description: Rubén Lozano Aguilera, a Google Product Manager, shares strategies for becoming an effective machine learning PM.
You can acquire any skill you desire for free online. If you've been hesitating due to financial constraints or lack of time, this is your sign to proceed.
It’s easy to get lost in the vast amount of information available during this project. Resources cater to every learning style. Sometimes, I watch YouTube videos on Kubernetes while cooking, listen to podcasts during walks, and read articles and blogs most of the time.
The challenge lies in identifying the relevant use cases for your needs and navigating back through Google to find the appropriate level of information. Initially, you might think you need to understand “What is Kubernetes?” but soon realize you need to backtrack to “What is Cloud Computing?” or even “What is a Server?”
Section 1.2: The Challenge of Simplifying Complex Ideas
My objective is to create a series of articles that are comprehensible to anyone, assisting Product Managers in grasping the development process. I cannot assume that the PMs reading my articles possess extensive existing knowledge. This means I must clearly define technical terms and concepts early on.
For instance, to explain Kubernetes, a reader must first understand the advantages of cloud computing. To grasp that concept, they need insights on the alternatives to cloud computing and the workings of physical data servers. But what exactly is a data server? Balancing precise technical language with a clear explanation of why this matters to a business is a significant challenge.
Condensing a concept to its simplest form in as few words as possible is quite difficult. However, mastering this skill is crucial for a Product Manager. Business stakeholders don't need to know the specifics of an API endpoint; they simply need to understand that our partner is working on making data accessible to us.
I'm grateful for the challenges I'm facing in this learning process. To date, I’ve invested around 20 hours studying what engineers might consider basic material, yet I’ve only scratched the surface of my intended content. My writing currently stands at about 2500 words, with each paragraph referencing multiple articles. This has taken significantly longer than expected!
As previously mentioned, conciseness is tough. However, the act of synthesizing information is valuable in itself. If I ever need to convey these concepts to another PM in the future, I will feel much more confident. As the saying goes, “If you want to master something, teach it.”
Chapter 2: Learning About Learning
In my journey, I am also discovering the science behind effective learning. Alongside standard books on ultralearning (listed below), I am reading "The Thing Explainer" by Randall Munroe, which exemplifies the type of content I aspire to create. Munroe adeptly explains how various items, from dishwashers to car engines, function using only the most common English words. Given my inclination toward elaborate language, I aim to incorporate elements from "The Thing Explainer" into my guide for Technical Product Managers.
Reading Recommendations
Before I dive back into writing about relational databases, I'd like to share a few book recommendations that have guided me during my studies:
- "The Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words" by Randall Munroe
- "Ultralearning: Accelerate your Career, Master Hard Skills and Outsmart the Competition" by Scott H. Young
- "Nicely Said: Writing For The Web With Style And Purpose" by Nicole Fenton and Kate Lee
- "Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning" by Peter Brown, Mark McHenry, and Henry Roediger
- "Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention" by Johann Hari
Are there any other books you would suggest for learning how to learn?
If you're curious about the specific content I'm studying, as well as a comprehensive list of all the referenced resources, remember to subscribe for notifications. The first chapter, "What is the Internet?", will be available in the upcoming weeks!
Editor’s Note — 23/05
You can now navigate directly to the core content below!
The Introductory Content
- Diagnosing the Problem
- Planning The Work
- Learning How To Learn Again
The Technical Content
- What Is The Internet?
- Tech Stacks and Programming Languages
- Cloud Computing
- APIs
- Databases
- Introduction to Software Architecture
- Software Development Lifecycle
Video Description: Discover how to transition into a Product Manager role in tech within three months, even without prior experience or a coding degree, through three key tips!