Why should you read product management books?

Product management is a complex field that requires continuous learning and skill-building. One of the best ways to expand your knowledge base and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices is by reading books on product management. In this blog, we will cover the top 20 product management books that every product manager and product owner should read.

According to a report by Statista, 788.7 million print books were sold in the US in 2022. While it’s unclear how many of these books were on product management, it’s safe to say that there are hundreds of books on this topic. Reading a book on product management is important because it can help you cultivate good habits, expand your knowledge base, and learn from the experiences of other product managers.

In this blog, we have compiled a list of the top 20 product management books based on relevance, product leadership, and skill-building. Each book on this list has been carefully selected to help you become a better product leader and acquire new skills that you can apply in your work. If you see any list is missing, do let us know in the comments, so that we can add it. Thanks, and happy reading and sharing with your network!

Here are the top 20 product management books that every product manager and product owner should read:

1. The Product Book: How to Become a Great Product Manager

By Josh Anon and Carlos González de Villaumbrosia. This book is a comprehensive guide to product management that covers everything from product strategy to product development to product marketing. It’s a great resource for both new and experienced product managers who want to learn how to build great products that users love. You can buy this from Amazon if you’ve made up your mind to read!

“Product management is about understanding the market, the customer, and the product. It’s about being able to make decisions that will drive the product forward and create value for the customer.” - Josh Anon and Carlos González de Villaumbrosia

2. Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love

By Marty Cagan. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to create products that customers love. It covers everything from product discovery to product delivery and provides practical advice on how to build great products.

“The best products aren’t built by the best product managers; they’re built by teams that work together to create something truly great.” - Marty Cagan

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Suggested read:  The Top 10 Ways to Build and Maintain Strong Product Teams

3. Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology

By Gayle McDowell and Jackie Bavaro. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to land a product management job in the tech industry. It provides practical advice on how to prepare for product management interviews and how to succeed once you land the job.

“Product management is about being able to think strategically, execute tactically, and communicate effectively.” - Gayle McDowell and Jackie Bavaro

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4. The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback

By Dan Olsen. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to build great products using lean methodologies. It covers everything from product strategy to product development to product marketing and provides practical advice on how to build great products that users love.

“The key to building great products is to focus on solving customer problems and delivering value to the customer.” - Dan Olsen

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Suggested read: **Unveiling The Power Of Impact Mapping: 5 Ways To Optimize Your Product's Impact

5. Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

By Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to solve big

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6. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

By Eric Ries. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to build a successful startup. It covers everything from product development to customer acquisition and provides practical advice on how to build a lean startup that can compete in today’s fast-paced business environment.

“The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.” - Eric Ries

7. Product Roadmaps Relaunched: How to Set Direction while Embracing Uncertainty

By C. Todd Lombardo, Bruce McCarthy, Evan Ryan, and Michael Connors. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to create effective product roadmaps. It covers everything from product strategy to product development to product marketing and provides practical advice on how to build great product roadmaps that align with your business goals.

“A roadmap is a strategic plan that defines a goal or desired outcome and includes the major steps or milestones needed to reach it.” - C. Todd Lombardo, Bruce McCarthy, Evan Ryan, and Michael Connors

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8. The Design of Everyday Things

By Don Norman. This book is a classic in the field of design and provides valuable insights into how to design products that are intuitive and easy to use. It covers everything from user experience to product design and provides practical advice on how to create products that users love.

“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible.” - Don Norman

9. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

By Nir Eyal. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to build products that users can’t put down. It covers everything from product design to user psychology and provides practical advice on how to create products that users love.

“The products and services that improve people’s lives are the ones that form habits.” - Nir Eyal

10. The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail

By Clayton M. Christensen. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to innovate in today’s fast-paced business environment. It covers everything from product development to customer acquisition and provides practical advice on how to build a company that can compete in today’s market.

“The reason why it is so difficult for existing firms to capitalize on disruptive innovations is that their processes and their business model that make them good at the existing business actually make them bad at competing for the disruption.” - Clayton M. Christensen

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11. Product Mastery: From Good to Great Product Ownership

By Geoff Watts. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to become a great product owner. It covers everything from product strategy to product development to product marketing and provides practical advice on how to build great products that users love.

“Product ownership is about creating value for the customer and the business.” - Geoff Watts

12. The Lean Product Owner: A Guide to Building High-Performing Agile Teams

By Melissa Perri. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to build high-performing agile teams. It covers everything from product strategy to product development to product marketing and provides practical advice on how to build great products that users love.

“The key to building great products is to focus on solving customer problems and delivering value to the customer.” - Melissa Perri

(One bonus book that I liked reading again and again is The Lean Startup by Eric Ries – every entrepreneur, and product owner must read)

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13. Product Leadership: How Top Product Managers Launch Awesome Products and Build Successful Teams

By Richard Banfield, Martin Eriksson, and Nate Walkingshaw. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to become a great product leader. It covers everything from product strategy to product development to product marketing and provides practical advice on how to build great products that users love.

“Product leadership is about creating a vision, building a team, and delivering value to the customer.” - Richard Banfield, Martin Eriksson, and Nate Walkingshaw

14. The Product Manager’s Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed as a Product Manager

By Steven Haines. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to succeed as a product manager. It covers everything from product strategy to product development to product marketing and provides practical advice on how to build great products that users love.

“Product management is about creating value for the customer and the business.” - Steven Haines

15. Product Strategy for High Technology Companies

By Michael E. McGrath. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to create effective product strategies. It covers everything from product development to customer acquisition and provides practical advice on how to build great product strategies that align with your business goals.

"Product strategy is about creating a roadmap that aligns with your business

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16. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

By Ben Horowitz. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to build a successful business. It covers everything from product development to customer acquisition and provides practical advice on how to build a company that can compete in today’s market.

“The most important thing that any CEO, founder, or product manager can do is to focus on building a great product that solves a real problem for customers.” - Ben Horowitz

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17. Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

By Kim Scott. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to be a better leader. It covers everything from communication to feedback and provides practical advice on how to build a great team that can achieve great things.

“The best way to build a great team is to be a great boss. And the best way to be a great boss is to be radically candid.” - Kim Scott

18. The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

By Daniel Coyle. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to build a great team culture. It covers everything from communication to feedback and provides practical advice on how to build a great team that can achieve great things.

“The most successful teams are those that have a strong sense of belonging and a shared sense of purpose.” - Daniel Coyle

19. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

By Patrick Lencioni. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to build a great team. It covers everything from communication to feedback and provides practical advice on how to build a great team that can achieve great things.

“The most successful teams are those that are willing to be vulnerable and honest with each other.” - Patrick Lencioni

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20. The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth

By Clayton M. Christensen. This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to innovate in today’s fast-paced business environment. It covers everything from product development to customer acquisition and provides practical advice on how to build a company that can compete in today’s market.

“The key to building a successful company is to focus on creating products that solve real problems for customers.” - Clayton M. Christensen

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I hope this helps you expand your knowledge base and become a better product manager. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, please let me know.

Summarizing…

In conclusion, reading books is an essential part of every leader’s journey. It can help you cultivate good habits, expand your knowledge base, and learn from the experiences of other product managers. I hope this list of the top 20 product management books has inspired you to start your reading journey.

My personal favorite product management books from this list are The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love by Marty Cagan, The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback by Dan Olsen, Product Roadmaps Relaunched: How to Set Direction while Embracing Uncertainty by C. Todd Lombardo, Bruce McCarthy, Evan Ryan, and Michael Connors, and The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman. These books have helped me become a better product manager and acquire new skills that I can apply in my work. I encourage you to read these books and share your reflections with us. Are you ready to start your book-reading journey? Let’s do it now!

About Shorter Loop:

End-To-End Product Management: Whether you are a seasoned product manager or a newly minted startup founder, with Shorter Loop’s product management platform you can surface hidden customer pains, ideate effective solutions, make realistic plans, and build products that your customers will gladly pay to use. Interested to know more? We have helped start-ups, and small and medium-sized companies to improve efficiency by 4x while cutting down all product management costs by 50%. Awarded by Software Select and Source Forge as “leader in product management” in 2023-2025. G2 has awarded us as “High Performer” in the recent product management grid. Customer Case Studies | Testimonials | Book a free demo/discovery call

Suggested Read: Top product management trends 2023 and beyond you must know | 8 Successful Ways To Stay Current With Product Management Trends

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