Books a product manager can read?

As budding product managers or as we grow in the product field, we need to read a lot. Reading helps us think deeper, think differently, and remain relevant.

So let me share the books I read in the last 9 months, and the ones I plan to read in the next 3 months.

1. The Lean Product Management — is a wonderful book to know what we need to do as product managers. The book tells us how to start and what not to do while making the product. The secrets of product making. It took almost 10 days x 2 hrs to read this book
2. OKRs — A wonderful book to learn that we need to have time-bound goals, remain focused, and think for the next 3 months at max. The team has goals that lead to organization-led goals and there is harmony and alignment. The books give lots of examples and cases to learn from. It took 7 days x 3 hrs.
3. The Build trap — A classic book, I liked the book cover and the lesser number of pages, smaller font, and to the point. The book takes a case of a product company and explains how the advisor solves the product-related problems with product concepts. Explains the role of members in the organization, how to re-purpose the workforce, how to re-skill, and give guidance.
4. Hooked — I am hooked to this book and the podcast of Nir. I wish I could meet him one day. So thought-full, the loop he has described in the book and how to think in a systematic way to create a loop is something to reflect for each product team member. Unless the user is hooked to the product, 95% plus users will leave the app in the first week. You can read this book in 10 days x 1 hrs per day, so read it 2 to three times in a gap of 3 months, this will help.
5. The Paradox of choices More is less — A super book, when I read this book, I was able to relate to it. I liked the thought that we should not have more than 3 choices on price, else the user will not buy. I thought we had only BSNL 15 years back, then the price was controlled, service was available, and we were able to call. But after some time we got more choices, and recently the prices are going north for private players and there is no issue with the users. So, the more choices we have the more difficult it is to choose and we are left on our own to decide which is even more difficult. Learn the buyer psychology.
6. The Cold Start Problem — A super book released just now, do read to see how the product grows on its own. The book talks about how network growth is related to species population and it works. I have still not completed the book, a loooooong read. Needs patience and breaks to read 700 plus pages.
7. Product Led Growth — A super book, easy language, simple method, prescriptive way, and a checklist of sorts. The best part of the book is the bowling alley framework. It talks about the Product roadblocks and conversational roadblocks. I read it within 2 days and then repeated it by just reading the highlights.
8. Hacking growth — AARRR framework, is best described in this book, it explains each step in detail, gives examples, and helps you plan in case you are implementing something. I used some ideas like reducing the friction, getting users to log in with a mobile number, referral, tooltips, sharing the app, etc. I read it passionately, I was able to complete it in 15 days x 1 hrs per day.
9. Obviously Awesome — A wonderful book to understand how you will position the product in the mind of the customer. When we make a product, it needs to replace a need of the customer. Like the online tuition replaced the need for physical tuition, in corona, this made something not possible at that time possible. A wonderful book to read, you need to read this in 6 days and then repeat it. This is fun!
10. Free — Before reading this book, I thought if we give products for free then we will be able to get more customers, and then we can monetize it later. But this is never the case. So, the book explains that nothing is free in this world very beautifully, just think, when you get something for free, you give away something, you view, a survey or your email Id or something else.

I am continuing the read and will be sharing some insights which I liked, with you all. Please do read these books. The next on my list are product-led onboarding, gamification, and SEO.

About Me — I am working as an AVP, Products & Solutions at Educational Initiatives. I am part of the team which is making the best learning product ‘Mindspark’ in India.