Mobile product managers hold down one of the most challenging roles in any organization. As a mobile PM, you need to manage people at all levels of the organization. You must also keep your team motivated and on schedule. Additionally, you need to ensure the product reflects what’s best for customers. On top of that, mobile is changing rapidly, which puts an extra layer of complexity that can be difficult to navigate and stay on top off. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back! We’ve compiled a list of the best mobile product management resources to help you step up your game.
To identify their most valuable resources, we surveyed the mobile PM community. Respondents shared their company type to give context on their products. We discovered that 34% work for B2B companies, 42% for B2C companies, and 20% for companies that are both B2B and B2C.
Just as your app needs tools, mobile PMs need resources to enhance their skills and reach the next level. A plethora of valuable resources are available to help them step up their game. We asked the product management community where they turn when they want to learn more about their line of work. Here’s a compilation of the best resources, including reading material, conferences, and courses that are popular in the mobile PM community.
Let’s dig in!
Reading material
The day you stop reading is the day you stop learning—isn’t that how the saying goes? Well, you won’t have a shortage of reading material with these blogs. Here are your fellow PM’s top picks:
Product Hunt
Product Hunt is the place to discover new tools, resources, lifehacks, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Searching for a solution to a product problem? Chances are you can find it on Product Hunt. Keep your eye out for the up-and-coming on Product Hunt to always be on top of your game.
Quora
Similar to Product Hunt, Quora is a place to find an answer to almost anything you can think of. It’s a hub of crowdsourced knowledge. Are you trying to find an answer to a question that no one has asked in other communities yet? You can post your question to Quora, and even ask specific people to answer. You can even share your wealth of knowledge and help other mobile product managers out, too.
PM Subreddits
PM Subreddits are similar to Quora in that people post questions and answers. However, PMs also post relevant articles, popular Q&As with fellow PMs, webinars, and other mobile product news you should know. It’s a great one-stop-shop for PM-centric resources.
The Art of Product Management
Run by Jackie Bavaro, a PM at Asana, and Co-author of Cracking the PM Interview, The Art of Product Management is a blog that provides practical advice on how to be a better product manager. Jackie posts about a wide range of PM focused topics. You’ll find something worth reading on this popular blog.
Mobile App Management Blog by Apperian
This blog, tailored for product managers focused on enterprise apps, is an excellent resource. It covers new techniques, upcoming webinars, mobile app industry analysis, and case studies. PMs will gain clear industry insights and a deeper understanding of how to address their app’s needs.
Apptamin Blog
Apptamin is a place for mobile product managers to learn about the app industry as a whole. It doesn’t specifically focus on product management but shares meaningful information on making your app successful.
TechCrunch
As with any profession, it’s smart to stay up to date on the latest mobile industry trends and news. TechCrunch can be a go-to source for anything related to the inner workings of the tech industry.
Conferences
Conferences are excellent for learning and gaining new knowledge. They also provide valuable opportunities to network and meet industry professionals.We asked the mobile PM community what conferences they’ve enjoyed and learned from the most. Here’s what they had to say:
Mobile Future Forward
This mobile-focused conference offers unparalleled data. Attendees can gain a deep understanding of the overall direction of the mobile industry. This conference attracts speakers from some of the world’s largest mobile-oriented companies, including T-Mobile, Oracle, and Google. If you’re interested in learning from the best in the business, this is the place to be.
ProductCamp
ProductCamp calls themselves an “unconference” because it’s free, user-driven, and collaborative. It focuses on topics related to product management, product strategy, and product marketing. The most fun part about this event? Any participant can present a topic or lead a group discussion. On the day of the event, attendees vote on which session they’re most interested in, and the sessions with the most votes win. ProductCamp events are set up all over the world, but if they don’t have an event scheduled near you, you can organize one for your city.
Delight UX/Product Conference
If you’re seeking to learn more about how to create exceptional experiences for your mobile customers, this conference is a must-attend. This event draws big-name speakers who are known for their optimal customer experiences, including Facebook, Target, and Captial One.
Open Mobile Media Summit
Regardless of what industry you’re in, Open Mobile Media Summit will have presentations that are relevant to any mobile product manager. Topics include app and mobile tech; commerce and brands; media and advertising; and M2M and enterprise. The conference delivers insights to help businesses in the mobile ecosystem expand and succeed.
Mind the Product
Mentioned above in our reading section, Mind the Product also puts on an impressive conference for product managers. Presenters are brought in from around the world, giving attendees a chance to hear about new solutions and strategies that don’t exist in their corner of the world yet. Hailed as one of the best product conferences around, it’s hosted by product managers, so there’s no shortage of relevant, engaging, and useful information presented each year.
ProductTank Meetup Series
Mind the Product hosts the ProductTank Meetup series frequently in 75 cities around the world. This free gathering welcomes product managers, designers, and developers, encouraging them to share their experience and knowledge to help each other learn and grow.
Product Management, Innovation & Growth
The conference helps product managers learn more about growth strategy, innovation, and shared experiences. The topics focus on innovation, business planning, product strategy, performance, and customer insights. Attendees get a full spectrum look at what’s to come in the future of product management and tactical advice for how to advance their company in the near term.
MVP Conf
MVP, or Minimum Viable Product, helps professionals in the mobile world master the art of the MVP philosophy. Not only does the conference include experienced speakers, including product managers for Zappos and Uber, it hosts 17 workshops to kick it all off.
Mobile World Congress
Undoubtedly the biggest mobile conference of the year, attendees get a full-scale view of where the mobile industry is heading, as well as tactical advice on how to make the most of the mobile revolution. Since this conference attracts tens of thousands of attendees from all over the world, it’s one of the best places to network, expand business development opportunities, and learn from the best of the best.
Courses
Taking your career to the next level requires continued learning. There’s a course here for everyone, whether you’re just starting out or you’re an industry veteran. This comprehensive list will help you expand your skillset and open new professional opportunities through learned skills.
Coursera
Coursera lists product management courses for specific niches within the profession from a host of different schools around the world. If you want to change industries or expand your skill set, Coursera likely has what you’re looking for. Courses range in difficulty and cover topics from software product management to running design sprints.
General Assembly 10-week Product Management Course
If you’re just getting started, or if you’re interested in becoming a product manager for the first time, this crash course by GA will get you up to speed quickly. You’ll learn the skills and tools needed to be a successful product manager, production standards, and the big picture to make your customers and stakeholders happy.
Udemy Product Management Certification
Similar to GA’s 10-week PM course, Udemy offers a product management certification for those interested in becoming a PM focused on B2B. The course contains 34 lectures and covers a wide variety of skills required of PMs, including conflict management, how to define a new product, and how to build a business case.
App Success Pro Course
While mobile product managers don’t need to possess a ton of technical skill, it does help your ability to communication with the engineering team. Learning how to create your own app will build a level of skill that will enable you to communicate more effectively with your team, and create more empathy for your team now that you have a better understanding of what an app requires.
Stanford Swift Courses
Similar to the App Success Pro Course, learning how to code Swift will make you a better product manager because you’ll be more equipped to understand what’s required of your engineering team. Better communication, empathy, and technical skills will take your mobile product management career to the next level.
Conclusion
Tools and resources, including conferences, blogs, and courses, exist to help you become more effective in your current role, and take your career to the next level. The above list has something for everyone, whether you’re seeking to boost your app’s success, network with fellow mobile product managers, or brush up on your technical skills. Take advantage of these PM approved resources to give yourself, your team, and your product a competitive edge!
What are some of your favorite mobile product management resources? We’d love to hear about them in the comments section below!