Product Management 101

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14

Lessons
20

Exams &
Assignments
528

Students
have taken this course
9

Hours
average time
0.9

CEUs

Course Description

Product management is the process of making the right product that solves the right problem for the right person at the right time. The right person is the customer, who along with business and technology, make up the heart of the product management process. It is the process by which a vision or idea becomes a valuable product.

The project manager is an extremely important person in an organization. You will typically find product managers at companies that build software or products for customer or business-to-business use.

The product manager is the CEO of the product. They are responsible for the strategy and roadmap for the product, as well as the team of employees that are involved in every step of making the product.

The product manager has the responsibility of analyzing the markets and watching the competition, and laying out the initial product vision based on his assessments. The project manager has duties that are both strategic and tactical, and must have excellent leadership skills. He must be able to bridge the gaps between the many different teams working on a product, from design and engineering to sales and marketing.

Let's think of Apple, Inc. It has several products, such as the iPhone, iPad, iTunes, Apple TV, and more. Each one of those products has one product manager that guides the product process from origination to completion. In the case of the iPhone, the project manager will have thousands of employees under him, including many junior project managers. The project manager will report directly to the CEO. A note, Steve Jobs started out as a project manager, and many project managers advance to top executive roles in their companies, including CEO.

Let's use an example as we discuss project management and its many intricacies.

Company ABC is a tech company that builds software for the service industry. Their client, XYZ Hotels, is a large chain of upscale hotels, and they are looking for a new software program that will help them better manage their hotels. Company ABC will use product management to develop and produce this product.

The project manager sees the product through from conception to final completion. This is called the product lifecycle.

There are many different styles of product management, and in this course, we will be focusing on the agile methodology and in particular, Scrum, a variant of agile that is specifically used in software development.

Scrum is a product management framework that uses teams of about seven people, each with their own role. Scrum provides a clear structure for team members, meetings and rules. The teams work in 1-2 week periods called Sprints. These sprints are usually around 1-2 weeks long, but are never longer than a month. The goal of each Sprint is to build a shippable product increment.

In this course you will learn what a product manager does, how the software product development process works, and how to work within the agile and scrum frameworks. You will also learn what it takes to be a product manager at top companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple.

Completely Online
Self-Paced
6 Months to Complete
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PC & Mac Compatible
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Accredited CEUs

Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider

Course Lessons

Average Lesson Rating:

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Lesson 1: Introduction to Agile Methodology and Product Management

There are many different styles of product management. In this course, we will be focusing on the Agile methodology and, in particular, Scrum, a variant of Agile that is specifically used in software development. 10 Total Points

Take Survey: Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete: Lesson 1 Assignment
Complete: Exam 1

Lesson 2: The Product Manager Role

The product manager is basically the CEO of the product. They are responsible for the strategy and road map for the product, as well as the team of employees that are involved in every step of making the product. 9 Total Points

Review 2 Articles: What is the role of a product manager?; Behind Every Great Product The Role of the Product Manager
Complete: Exam 2

Lesson 3: The Scrum Team and ScrumMaster

In this lesson, you will learn about the two other roles in the Scrum methodology:the Scrum development team and the ScrumMaster. 12 Total Points

Review 2 Articles: Empowering Teams: The ScrumMaster's Role; Scrum Master
Complete: Lesson 3 Assignment
Complete: Exam 3

Lesson 4: Collaborating in the Sprint Meetings

Sprint meetings are the foundation of the Scrum methodology. It is where all communication takes place, and plans for the product are formed and advanced. 10 Total Points

Review 2 Articles: SIMPLE CHEAT SHEET TO SPRINT PLANNING MEETING; Mastering the art of sprint planning
Complete: Lesson 4 Assignment
Complete: Exam 4

Lesson 5: Common Mistakes of a Product Manager

Review Article: Five Common Product Manager Mistakes
Complete: Exam 5

Lesson 6: The Product Vision

Being able to envision the product makes the product vision statement, which is needed before the rest of the product lifecycle can begin. 9 Total Points

Review 3 Articles: 8 Tips for Creating A Compelling Product Vision; The Product Vision Board; How We Write a Product Vision
Complete: Lesson 6 Assignment
Complete: Exam 6

Lessson 7: Techniques for Creating the Vision

How does a product owner or development team create the vision? They use a series of techniques that help them inspire their creativity to get the juices flowing. 8 Total Points

Review 2 Articles: Guideline: Creating a Product Vision ; Building a Product Users Want: From Idea to Backlog with the Vision Board
Complete: Exam 7

Lesson 8: Product Backlogs

The Scrum product backlog is a list of all the things that must be done for a project. These items can be just about anything, from technical items, to issues with the customer or user. 7 Total Points

Review 3 Articles: The product backlog: your ultimate to-do list; Build and manage the product backlog; How to Create a Product Backlog: An Agile Experience
Complete: Exam 8

Lesson 9: Estimating in Scrum and Managing Quality

The Scrum product backlog is a list of all the things that must be done for a project. These items can be just about anything, from technical items to issues with the customer or user. 11 Total Points

Review Article: Success Story: How to Estimate Quickly and Efficiently?
Complete: Lesson 9 Assignment
Complete: Exam 9

Lesson 10: Planning the Release

Planning the release is the way to launch a successful product. Release planning takes place throughout the development process, with the development team and stakeholders deciding which features to release, and when. 7 Total Points

Review 3 Articles: Product Release Planning; How to Write a Product Release Plan; How to Plan a Product-Launch Event
Complete: Exam 10

Lesson 11: The Product Vision and the Minimally Marketed Product

Being able to envision the product makes the product vision statement, which is needed before the rest of the product lifecycle can begin. 9 Total Points

Review 2 Articles: What Is a Vision Statement?; Best Examples of a Vision Statement
Complete: Exam 11

Lesson 12: Sprint Meetings: Daily Planning and Review

Sprint meetings are the foundation of the Scrum methodology. It is where all communication takes place, and plans for the product are formed and advanced. 8 Total Points

Review 3 Articles: Sprint Planning Meeting; Effective Sprint Goals; Five steps to an effective sprint retrospective
Complete: Exam 12

Lesson 13: How the PM Role Varies By Company

The product manager is tasked with developing a product that meets the needs of the client, while also being a success for the business. 8 Total Points

Review 2 Articles: 5 Ways the PM Role Varies Across Companies; Evolution of the Product Manager
Complete: Exam 13

Lesson 14: Want to Be a Product Manager?

Take Poll: How would you rate this course?
Take Survey: Course Comments
Complete: Exam 14
Complete: Final Exam

196

Total Course Points

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

Define Agile Methodology and Product Management.
Define the role of the product manager.
Define the Scrum Team and ScrumMaster.
Describe collaborating in the sprint meetings.
Summarize common mistakes of a product manager.
Define the product vision.
Summarize techniques for creating the vision.
Describe product backlogs.
Summarize estimating techniques in Scrum and Managing Quality.
Describe the processing involved in planning the release.
Describe sprint meetings.
Describe how the PM role varies by company, and
Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.

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