Book Review: The Art of Product Management

This, I think, is the first book review I have ever published. But it is for a great book – The Art of Product Management by Rich Mironov.

Before I get in to the actual meat of the review, allow me to establish a precedent for reviews that I can use from this point forward. Something product management related should be counted in order to offer my quick and up-front take on the book (or thing) that I am reviewing. Something in relation to the product lifecycle seems appropriate. So we’ll rate things like this:

• Introduction = the book / item being reviewed is pretty good
• Growth = the book is great and really worth buying
• Maturity = the book is OK, maybe worth reading if someone loans it to you
• Decline = stay away and recommend others to do the same

So that being said, I am rating Rich’s book as GROWTH.

That being said, on to the review.

I first found out about Rich, as most of us PMs that are online did, on the (now retired) blog Product Bytes a few years back. He’s got a vast set of experience and knowledge to call on while writing on the topic of shipping products. And not just that, but overall start-up experience as well; seeing as I’m on my fourth start-up now, this is near and dear to my heart.

In short – Rich is a real pro and he know’s his stuff cold. I found his early description of product managers to be very thoughtful (on page 13 in preface):

The honest brokers who balance customer needs with engineering realities, market requirements with financial goals.

Awesome stuff.

I would certainly describe Rich as an early innovator himself – being one of the first in a tech product role to start writing about it, and distributing his thoughts online. This clearly documents his comfort level with the job and what those in the role can bring to the table, especially in smaller organizations. He understands, and has a passion for, the product role – and describes the challenges that only one who has lived it can.

All of his writings are deeply rooted in a passion for the products he is managing – something most of us are probably guilty of losing over the course of our careers, but would never admit to it.

Adam’s Note: Having a clear and unbridled passion for the products under your purview can certainly become contagious throughout your organization. There needs to be someone that has it, and someone that communicates it. If it’s not your CEO, I suggest you work hard to take up this mantle – everyone should feel it from you in every meeting you sit in.

Rich offers some great council on building the proper foundations by using experience and relationships. This is no easy feat – especially when dealing with personalities in a highly-sensitive environment like a start-up. This really made me realize and recall how many stories start to come to the front of my mind when thinking through this stuff – and how quickly the roll off my tongue.

Throughout all of his stories lives great advice on early stage businesses – including selling products for the first-time and the challenges you will come face-to-face with. There is also keen insight in to how difficult and overlooked the exploration stages of a new product truly are.

Adam’s Note: You will always find winners and losers. The trick is extracting the rubber stamps to build in to the product – often very quickly and without much guidance.

The book has a great set of stories that are truly worth reading – from beginner all the way to seasoned vet. When starting out, having someone to relay honest to goodness start-up war stories to you is invaluable. And for those of us that have done this a few times, you can find inspiration in Rich’s words early and often throughout the entire work.

In short, there is a great focus in building products and companies the right way – on top of solid and sound fundamentals. But never losing sight of reality, which is all too easy to do. Things will always look sexy on paper, but never work out that way in practice. Rich has a great resource here that can both teach and inspire.

Favorite chapters:

• Owning the Gap
• Roadmap Less Traveled
• Product Management is Inherently Political

Well done, Rich!