ChatGPT: Becoming an Excellent Product Manager: A University Student’s Roadmap.

Overview: Product management sits at the intersection of technology, business, and user experience. If you’re starting from university, you can craft your education and experiences to build the broad skillset needed for this role. Below is a comprehensive guide – from choosing your major to landing that first PM job – structured as practical steps and tips.

Choose a Relevant Major (and Minor) 📚

• Prioritize Technical Majors: Many successful product managers have a background in computer science or engineering. In fact, a study of 270 leading tech companies found 72% of PM job postings required a computer science degree. A CS or Software Engineering major equips you with “technical chops” to communicate with developers and understand technical constraints. If a full CS major isn’t for you, consider at least a minor in CS or IT to gain programming fundamentals.
• Combine Tech with Business or Design: While technical acumen is crucial, product management also demands business sense and user empathy. You might double-major or minor in fields like Business Administration, Economics, or Design. For example, pairing a CS major with a Business or UX Design minor can balance your skillset. This way you learn to build technical credibility and understand market strategy and user-centric design.
• Alternate Paths: If you choose a business or liberal arts major, try to bolster technical skills through electives. Take intro programming or information systems courses, or engage in technical projects on the side. Likewise, STEM majors should take some business, psychology, or economics classes – e.g. Entrepreneurship, Marketing, or Behavioral Economics – to grasp customer psychology and market dynamics. The goal is a T-shaped education: deep strength in one area (e.g. coding) with broad knowledge of others.

Develop Key PM Skills During University 🛠️

Product management requires a blend of technical, business, and soft skills. Use your university years to start developing the following core competencies:

• Technical Literacy: You don’t need to be an expert coder, but understanding how software is built is essential. Gain exposure to web development, databases, and APIs. This will help you empathize with engineers and make informed decisions about effort vs. impact. Take coding classes or work on programming projects to learn basics of data structures and algorithms. Also practice data analysis – e.g. learn SQL and how to interpret product metrics. PMs are increasingly expected to be data-driven, using metrics like conversion rates or churn to guide decisions. Being comfortable with databases and analytics will set you apart.
• Business Acumen: A great PM has a solid understanding of business fundamentals. Use your coursework or internships to learn about market research, profit models, and strategy. You should grasp how to evaluate market opportunities, define success metrics (OKRs/KPIs), and position a product competitively. Take classes in marketing, economics, or strategy. Learn how successful products monetize and scale. This knowledge helps you ensure your product not only delights users but also meets business goals.
• UX Design Sense: While many teams have UX designers, a PM must appreciate good design and user experience principles. Cultivate an eye for design by studying basic UX principles (consistency, accessibility, user-centric design). Try learning wireframing tools and design basics – for instance, take an HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) elective or online design course. This will enable you to sketch interface ideas and effectively discuss design trade-offs with your team. Strong “product sense” – the intuition for what makes a product easy and delightful to use – often comes from practicing design thinking.
• Communication & Leadership: Soft skills are arguably the most important part of a PM’s toolkit. Work on being an excellent communicator – both in writing and speaking. A product manager spends ~70% of their time communicating: aligning the team on a vision, writing clear specs, rallying everyone around priorities. Seek opportunities in class projects or clubs to lead teams without formal authority (since PMs typically don’t manage direct reports but influence cross-functional teams). Learn to present your ideas clearly (consider taking a speech or writing class). Practice active listening and empathy – you’ll be interfacing with engineers, designers, marketers, and customers. Effective PMs can translate between technical and non-technical groups and resolve conflicts diplomatically.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Strengthen your ability to break down complex problems and make data-informed decisions. Take on coursework or competitions that require critical thinking (case studies, coding challenges, etc.). Even consulting case competitions or research projects can hone your structured thinking. PMs need to analyze user feedback and usage data, identify root causes, and prioritize solutions. If your major doesn’t directly exercise these skills, consider a minor in Data Science or participate in data analytics competitions. Being comfortable with quantitative analysis (spreadsheets, basic statistics) will help in defining product metrics and measuring success.

Focus on improving a bit each semester – e.g. take on a tough coding project to boost technical confidence, then a marketing project to learn storytelling. By graduation, you want to show evidence of all these skill areas through your projects and experiences.

Join Clubs, Competitions and Build Projects 🚀

Learning in the classroom is just one part; extracurriculars and side projects will demonstrate your passion and give you real experience:

• Product or Tech Clubs: Join any product management, tech, or entrepreneurship clubs on campus. If none exist, start one! Launching the university’s first PM club can be a standout move. You can organize PM workshops, invite guest speakers from industry, and create a community of fellow aspiring PMs. Not only will you learn, but you’ll also gain leadership experience and networking contacts (those company speakers you invite might be hiring later!).
• Hackathons and Case Competitions: Participate in hackathons, startup weekends, or product case competitions. These events simulate the product development process under time pressure – you’ll practice brainstorming ideas, building prototypes, and pitching solutions. Hackathons also force you to work cross-functionally (often with designers and developers), mirroring real PM teamwork. If you lack formal experience, side projects or hackathon prototypes can become talking points on your resume. They show initiative and “maker” skills.
• Personal Projects & Startups: Nothing beats learning by doing. Identify a problem or need in your own life or campus and try to build a solution with a small team. This could be a simple app, a website, or even a physical product. Go through the steps a PM would: conduct user research, define an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), create a product roadmap, design wireframes, and work with someone (or yourself) to implement it. For example, one student team noticed how hard it was to form study groups, so they built a group-finder app for classmates – their university eventually adopted the app, even paying the students for it. Whether or not your project “succeeds,” the experience of end-to-end product development is invaluable (and great to discuss in interviews).
• Research or Innovation Labs: If your university has opportunities like a human-computer interaction lab or an innovation incubator, get involved. As a research assistant or volunteer, you could work on cutting-edge projects that blend tech and user needs. This might involve designing experimental prototypes or studying user behavior – both excellent PM learning opportunities. Plus, having your name on a research project (or published paper) in design/tech looks impressive to big tech companies.
• Online Communities: Engage with the broader product community. Join forums or online groups (such as r/ProductManagement on Reddit or Product School’s community). Contribute to discussions, ask questions, and even share your learnings (maybe write a Medium blog post about a product concept or a book review). Demonstrating thought leadership can get you noticed. One idea is to start a blog or newsletter about product management – summarizing what you learn and offering your perspective. It signals passion and helps you refine your communication skills.
• Build a Portfolio: Throughout these activities, save your work outputs – product specs, wireframes, roadmaps, research findings, etc. By senior year, compile a product portfolio showcasing your projects and PM deliverables. This could be a simple personal website or PDF. The portfolio serves as proof of your skills and initiative. Employers love to see candidates who not only have theoretical knowledge but have tried to apply it. (As one PM leader noted, a portfolio of practice projects shows you’re a serious candidate with real PM skills, even if gained through self-driven work.) Include case studies of what you built, the problem it solved, and what you learned from the process.

Pursue Internships and Work Experience 👔

Hands-on experience in a work environment will greatly accelerate your path to a PM role. Here’s how to get relevant experience while still in school:

• Intern as a Product Manager: In recent years, more companies offer PM internships or co-ops for students. These can be competitive, but they’re the best way to see the PM role up close. As a product management intern, you might assist with tasks like market research, writing user stories or PRDs (Product Requirement Documents), and coordinating with designers and engineers. You also get to shadow seasoned product managers and learn how products are built in the real world. Aim to land a PM internship by the summer of your junior year if possible. Start looking early (many big tech firms recruit PM interns in the fall for the next summer).
• Alternative Internships (Design/Dev/Analyst): Don’t worry if you can’t snag a PM intern role immediately – it’s common to break in via related roles. Any internship where you help build or launch products can be spun as relevant experience. Software engineering internships are great for improving your technical understanding and credibility. UX design internships teach you user-centric thinking and design collaboration. Even business analyst or project management roles can be useful, since you practice requirements gathering, stakeholder communication, and seeing projects through. For example, a data analytics internship could show you’re adept with metrics and SQL (skills highly valued in PM). The key is to extract PM-relevant lessons and highlight those on your resume (e.g. “Collaborated with engineers and designers to deliver new app feature, improving understanding of agile team processes”).
• Part-Time Jobs or Volunteering at Startups: Experience doesn’t have to come from formal internships. Consider working 10-15 hours/week at a student-run startup or local tech startup in a product-centric role. Many early-stage startups appreciate help in exchange for experience. You might volunteer as an “associate product manager” or product analyst for a small startup that can’t yet afford a full-time PM. You’ll likely wear many hats (user research one day, QA testing the next), which is perfect for building a diverse skillset. Even roles like growth marketing or customer support at a startup can teach you about users and product-market fit. Be proactive – pitch yourself to startups (through incubators, LinkedIn, or professors) and explain how you can help on product initiatives as a student.
• Learn in Any Work Environment: Even non-tech jobs or internships can teach PM skills. For instance, a part-time job in retail or hospitality can strengthen your customer empathy and communication. A consulting or finance internship can sharpen your analytical thinking and presentation skills. Always look for projects or tasks you can take ownership of – PMs need a bias for taking initiative. Leadership roles in student organizations (leading a team to organize an event or competition) also count as experience where you practiced project planning, teamwork, and delivering results.
• Reflect and Connect: Whatever experience you get, regularly reflect on what you learned about building products or working with people. Keep notes on challenges you faced and how you solved them – these often become great stories to share in interviews. Also, stay in touch with mentors or managers you meet during internships. They can provide recommendation letters and possibly refer you to PM openings down the line. Networking is a huge part of landing PM roles (many jobs aren’t posted publicly), so cultivate genuine relationships during your work stints.

Enhance Your Knowledge with Courses and Certifications 🎓

University curricula might not cover all PM fundamentals, so supplement your learning with external resources:

• Online Courses: There are excellent online courses tailored to product management. For example, the “Become a Product Manager” course on Udemy (by Cole Mercer & Evan Kimbrell) is a popular comprehensive intro. Coursera and edX also offer product management specializations (often taught by industry professionals). These courses teach you PM frameworks, from writing user stories to roadmap planning. Dedicate time to one or two good courses during school breaks to solidify concepts that you may not get in your major.
• Bootcamps: Intensive product management bootcamps (e.g. by Product School, General Assembly, or CareerFoundry) can provide hands-on training and portfolio projects. These are typically a few weeks to a few months long. They can be pricey, so consider them optional – but they do offer mentorship and a structured way to build PM artifacts. Some bootcamps even guarantee internship placement or have hiring partnerships. If you prefer a live, cohort-based learning environment, this could be worth exploring (perhaps the summer after junior year).
• Professional Certifications: Certifications are not a strict requirement for PMs (only ~13% of PMs list any PM certification on LinkedIn), but they can add value by demonstrating formal knowledge and commitment. Certifications like Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) or Certified Scrum Master, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Product Owner/Product Manager, Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), or even Project Management Professional (PMP) are recognized in the industry. These exams typically require studying agile, project management, or business analysis concepts. Passing one shows employers you’ve mastered the lingo and best practices. That said, not all companies weight these heavily – some do, some don’t. If you have time and resources, getting one can give you a slight edge (and provide useful process knowledge). If not, you won’t be disqualified – real experience and skills matter more in the long run.
• Books & Blogs: Don’t underestimate self-study. A few classic PM books to read: “Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love” by Marty Cagan, “Cracking the PM Interview” by Gayle McDowell & Jackie Bavaro, and “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries. These give insight into product development, landing PM jobs, and innovation, respectively. Follow product management blogs and newsletters (like Lenny Rachitsky’s newsletter or Product School’s blog) to stay current on PM trends and advice. Regularly reading case studies or interviews with PM leaders will build your intuition for what the role demands.

(Pro tip: Apply your learning as you go. If you take a course on writing PRDs, write a PRD for one of your side projects. Learned about product sense from a book? Do a product teardown of an app you use. Active practice cements the knowledge.)

Suggested Year-by-Year Progression 📆

Everyone’s journey is unique, but here’s a rough year-by-year game plan through university to prepare for a PM career:

• First Year: Explore and build foundations. In your freshman year, focus on excelling in your chosen major classes and start developing complementary skills. Take an intro coding course if you’ve never programmed, and a basic economics or marketing class to grasp business fundamentals. Join a tech or business club – simply attending hackathons or speaker events can spark your interest further. If your school has an entrepreneurship center, drop in on a workshop. Begin reading about product management to confirm it excites you. This is also a good time to improve general skills: work on writing clearly (every PM needs good writing for emails and specs) and get comfortable speaking in group settings. Tip: Find a mentor if you can – perhaps an older student who’s interned in product or a professor with industry contacts. They can guide you on course selections and opportunities.

• Second Year: Develop skills and do small projects. As a sophomore, start applying your learning. Take more specialized courses: maybe a UX design elective or a database class or “intro to finance” – something outside your core major that broadens you toward PM. This year, aim to complete at least one self-driven project. For instance, build a simple app or website with a couple friends, or do a case study on improving an existing product. You might also compete in a hackathon or case competition now that you have some foundational skills – these give you tangible experience to talk about. Continue active involvement in clubs; consider taking a leadership role in a committee or organizing an event to hone teamwork and leadership. As summer approaches, apply for internships – even if it’s not a PM role yet. A software engineering internship or a business analyst internship after sophomore year is fantastic experience (and will make you a stronger PM candidate later). If a formal internship doesn’t pan out, consider a summer research assistant job or volunteer to help a startup as a trial. Anything that exposes you to product development is worthwhile.

• Third Year: Gain real-world experience (internships) and refine your focus. Junior year is pivotal for lining up a PM job after graduation. In fall, apply aggressively for product management internships at companies that offer them – many applications are open early in the academic year. Highlight your projects and leadership from years 1–2 on your resume to show you’re ready. If you land a PM internship for the summer, great! If not, secure another related internship (dev, design, etc.) – it still builds relevant skills. During junior year, take advanced courses like Software Engineering (to learn Agile methods), Product Management or Project Management if offered, or Strategy and Finance (to understand business planning). Also, use junior year to build your network: attend career fairs, connect with alumni in product roles (LinkedIn is useful for this), and continue contributing in your PM or tech club (perhaps invite alumni PMs for talks). By the end of the summer after junior year, you ideally have one significant internship on your resume and several project artifacts – these will feed into your job applications. It’s also a good time to start assembling your portfolio website or slide deck with your best projects (include context, your role, outcomes, and what you learned). Recruiters love to see a portfolio link!

• Fourth Year: Job prep and applications. Senior year is all about turning your preparation into a job offer. Early in the fall, start applying to Associate Product Manager (APM) programs and entry-level PM roles. Many large tech companies have rotational APM programs (Google, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce, etc.) specifically for new grads – deadlines for these are often in early fall. Use your university’s career services and online resources like the APM application tracker (apmseason.com) to stay on top of deadlines. When applying, tailor your resume to highlight PM-relevant experiences: projects where you led a team, internships where you analyzed data or defined requirements, etc. If you have a portfolio, include it. Write a concise, enthusiastic cover letter for roles you’re passionate about, mentioning any connection you have (“I interned in fintech last summer and saw firsthand the problem your product solves…”). Prepare for interviews methodically: practice answering product design questions (e.g. “Design a product for X user”), product strategy questions, and technical basics (you might be asked to interpret a simple SQL query or explain an API). Mock interview with friends or mentors if possible. Also leverage your network: let your contacts know you’re looking – referrals can sometimes skip you ahead in the funnel. Finally, continue learning – attend that last hackathon or finish a capstone project, because it could be a great discussion point in an interview. And keep an open mind: not everyone will land a PM role right out of undergrad (only about 7% of PMs in one FAANG study did so directly). It might take persistence or a short detour (like working at a startup or doing an MBA), but your preparation will pay off either way.

Master the Tools of the Trade 🧰

Great product managers are comfortable with a variety of tools that help in different phases of product development. As a student, familiarize yourself with some of the key tools PMs use (many have free or student versions):

• Project Management & Issue Tracking: Learn tools like Jira or Trello, which PMs use to track tasks, user stories, and bugs in an Agile development process. For example, Jira is an industry-standard tool for managing software sprints and backlogs. You can create a free Jira or Trello board for your own project to practice creating tickets, setting priorities, and moving items through stages. Understanding how to use these tools shows you can keep a team organized and on schedule.
• Prototyping & Design: Figma has become a go-to tool for UI/UX design and prototyping. Even if you’re not a designer, learning the basics of Figma will let you create wireframes or mockups to convey your product ideas visually. Similarly, tools like Sketch or Adobe XD (or simpler ones like Balsamiq or Whimsical) are worth exploring. PMs often give feedback on designs, so knowing your way around a design tool helps communicate changes or try out ideas.
• Data Analysis: SQL and Excel/Google Sheets are bread-and-butter tools for any data-driven PM. SQL (Structured Query Language) allows you to query databases – extremely useful for pulling product usage data or testing hypotheses (e.g. “How many users used feature X last week?”). Many PM job descriptions list SQL as a desired skill. Spreadsheets, on the other hand, are ubiquitous for analyzing metrics and building simple models. Being an Excel power user can give you an “unfair advantage” – a solid spreadsheet model can drive decisions or reveal if an idea is viable. Practice by analyzing data from your projects or a public dataset: use pivot tables, charts, basic formulas. Also try out data visualization or analytics tools like Google Analytics (for web/app metrics) or Mixpanel/Amplitude (event analytics), as these are commonly used to track user behavior.
• Collaboration & Documentation: PMs spend a lot of time writing things down – product specs, meeting notes, strategy docs. Get used to tools like Confluence, Notion, or Google Docs for documentation. Notion is great for organizing notes and wikis for your team; Confluence is often used alongside Jira for spec documents. Try writing a sample PRD (Product Requirements Document) in one of these tools for a project idea you have – this will both practice your writing and your tool skills. For real-time collaboration and brainstorming, learn Miro (a virtual whiteboard) where teams do user journey mapping or retrospectives. It’s excellent for remote brainstorming sessions and many companies use it.
• Communication Tools: This may be second nature, but be adept at Slack, Microsoft Teams, or whatever chat tool is popular where you work. PMs coordinate constantly via these apps. Also, polish your presentation skills with PowerPoint or Google Slides – you’ll frequently need to make concise slide decks to align stakeholders or report progress. Being the one who can craft a clear, visual story in slides is a huge plus (PMs often say “Excel and PowerPoint are my main tools” in leadership roles!).
• Version Control & Dev Tools (Optional): If you’re working closely with engineering or building projects yourself, get familiar with Git and GitHub for version control. It helps you understand how code is managed in teams. Additionally, knowing how to use Postman (for testing APIs) or reading developer docs can deepen your tech know-how. You don’t have to use these daily as a PM, but exposure to them will improve your technical fluency when talking with engineers.

Learning tip: Many of these tools have free tutorials or student offers. For instance, Atlassian (Jira/Confluence) has free licenses for small teams, and Figma is free for education. Dedicate a weekend to tinkering with a new tool – create a fake project and go through the motions (make a Jira backlog for planning a trip, or use Figma to redesign a simple app you like). Each tool you add to your comfort zone makes you a more effective PM from day one. According to PM mentors, you should eventually be familiar with tools in multiple categories – project tracking, design, analytics, user feedback, documentation, etc – as they enable efficient collaboration and execution.

Landing Your First PM Job After Graduation 🎯

By graduation, you’ll have a mix of education, projects, and internship experience – now it’s time to secure that coveted product manager role. Some final tips to maximize your chances:

• Build a Compelling PM Story: Craft your “elevator pitch” as an aspiring PM. This is a narrative of why you want to be in product management and what you’ve done to prepare. Maybe you’re excited about solving user problems (and can cite a project where you did so), or you love leading teams to build things (with an example from your internship). Hiring managers want to see genuine passion and a clear understanding of the role. Be ready to answer “Why PM?” convincingly – for instance, “I thrive at the intersection of tech and customer needs. In my campus project, I loved gathering user feedback and working with developers to iterate the app – that experience confirmed product management is the ideal fit for my skills and interests.” Enthusiasm and clarity of motivation can set you apart from other new grads.
• Showcase Your Portfolio and Impact: As mentioned, have a portfolio or at least documented examples of your work. During interviews (and even in applications), leverage your projects/internships to demonstrate PM skills. For example, talk about how you identified a user pain point and prototyped a solution in your side project, or how in your internship you coordinated across 3 departments to launch a feature. Concrete stories beat vague statements. If you built a portfolio site, include the link on your resume and LinkedIn. Even a GitHub repository with your project code, a slide deck of a case study, or a Medium article you wrote can serve as evidence of your abilities. This portfolio signals “I don’t just have theoretical knowledge – I’ve applied it,” which can persuade employers to take a chance on a new grad.
• Leverage APM Programs: Many large tech firms offer Associate Product Manager programs recruiting straight from undergrad (Google APM, Meta RPM, Microsoft PM, Uber APM, and many more). These rotational programs are fantastic launch pads – you get mentorship, a network, and a prestigious name on your resume. They are competitive (thousands apply for a handful of spots), but you’ve been building your profile for this. Apply to all programs that interest you; don’t fixate on just one company. Use resources like the APM application tracker to find open applications. Tailor your application essays (if required) to each program’s values. And if you get interviews, prepare thoroughly for product cases, behavioral questions, and technical curiosity. Note that APM interviews often include hypothetical product design/improvement questions – practice by doing mock product cases (there are books and websites devoted to PM interview prep). Even if an APM program doesn’t pan out, the process will sharpen your interview skills for other roles.
• Target the Right Companies: In addition to big-name programs, look at mid-size tech companies and startups which may hire entry-level or “Junior PMs” more readily. A company with ~100-500 employees might be more flexible about hiring a new grad PM, especially if you’ve interned in a related role. Likewise, startups (even if you have to take a slightly different title at first, like “Product Analyst” or “Product Associate”) can let you grow into a PM role quickly. Use your network and school’s career board to find such opportunities. When applying, emphasize any domain knowledge you have that’s relevant (e.g. you did a health-tech project and applying to a digital health startup). Demonstrating a connection to the product or industry can sway a hiring manager.
• Network and Seek Referrals: By now you might know alumni, conference contacts, or former colleagues who work at companies with PM openings. Don’t be shy about politely reaching out. A referral can often get your resume seen by the hiring team. Message that senior PM you met at a hackathon or the engineer you interned with who’s now at Google – express your interest and ask for any advice or opportunities. People generally like to help new grads, especially if you show initiative. Additionally, continue attending virtual product meetups or webinars; sometimes opportunities arise just by being in the right community at the right time.
• Ace the Interview Process: When you land interviews, preparation is key. Be ready for common PM interview components: a product case exercise (e.g. designing or improving a product – use a structured approach: clarify the goal, identify user needs, propose solutions, consider trade-offs), a analytics question (you might be given a metric scenario or asked to interpret data – lean on your SQL/Excel experience and knowledge of key product metrics), and behavioral questions (leadership, handling conflict, project you’re proud of, etc.). Practice aloud and get feedback if you can. Also prepare some thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about their product strategy or team – it shows you’re genuinely engaged.
• Stay Resilient and Flexible: The job hunt can be challenging – product roles are competitive. You might face rejections; that’s normal. Use any feedback if provided, and keep improving. Sometimes the timing is about luck and fit. If you don’t land a PM role immediately, consider roles in consulting, engineering, marketing, or user research at a good company – you can often transition internally to product after 1–2 years of stellar performance (nearly one-third of PMs move into product internally from another role). Or, consider a one-year master’s program (some schools now offer Master’s in Product Management) or an MBA down the road – about 23% of PMs in a study got their first PM job after a postgrad degree. But many also do fine without. There are multiple paths to the PM role; you’re laying the groundwork now as a university student to make it happen.

Final thoughts: Becoming an excellent product manager is a journey – you build it step by step through interdisciplinary learning and hands-on practice. By choosing a solid mix of coursework, developing technical and business skills, taking on projects, and networking proactively, you’ll develop a strong PM mindset. Many top tech leaders started in product management early in their careers, and with the right preparation you can join their ranks. Stay curious, be persistent, and keep the user’s needs at the heart of everything you do. With that, you’ll be well on your way from the dorm room to the product room!

Resources & Further Reading:

• “Breaking Into Product Management as a New Grad” – Shehab Beram (Medium): A detailed 14-step guide for students, with tips on courses, projects, and internships.
• Product School’s Blog & Community: Free articles, webinars, and a Slack community of PMs – great for learning and asking questions.
• “Product Manager Skills for 2025” – Ben Aston (TheProductManager.com): Overview of top hard and soft skills for PMs, and how to develop them.
• APM List (apmseason.com): Aggregates associate PM program applications and deadlines – super useful for final-year students applying to APM roles.
• Books: Inspired (M. Cagan), Cracking the PM Interview (J. Bavaro & G. McDowell), The Product Book (Product School) – foundational reads to deepen your PM knowledge. Good luck on your journey to product management success!