My Favourite Product Management Channels
by Shao Kang • 29 October 2024
by Shao Kang • 29 October 2024
As someone who’s relatively new to product management, diving into this fast-paced field can feel overwhelming. There’s so much to learn – frameworks, tools, stakeholder management, and more. I quickly realised that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and this is where YouTube has come to rescue. By following some key channels, I’ve been able to fast-track my understanding of product management, drawing from the knowledge of experts who have walked the path before me. Here are five of my favourite YouTube channels that have been instrumental in my learning journey thus far.
Channel: Product School
Why I Love It:
As someone that also just started exploring the field, one of my biggest challenges was understanding the day-to-day responsibilities of a product manager. Product school has been invaluable in filling that gap. They offer webinars and tutorials that cover every phase of product management – from ideation to execution – giving me a clearer picture of how PMs work within different industries. Their practical advice on topics like roadmaps, product strategies, and customer research has helped me connect theory with real-world scenarios.
How It’s Helped Me:
The structure of their videos has given me a solid foundation. Their “What is a Product Manager?” playlist, in particular, helped me understand the role better, giving me a more comprehensive view of what I should focus on as I develop my skills.
Channel: Lenny's Podcast
Why I Love It:
Lenny’s Podcast has been a game-change for me as it provides a behind-the-scenes look into the minds of top product managers and tech leaders. As someone that is still trying to find my footing in this field, hearing their stories has been both inspiring and informative. What I love most is that Lenny doesn’t just stick to the basics – he dives deep into growth, leadership, and strategy, offering a more rounded perspective on what it takes to succeed as a product manager.
How It’s Helped Me:
His interviews have helped me understand that product management is just as much about understanding people as it is about understanding products. For example, his episode with Gibson Biddle from Netflix really opened my eyes to how important long-term product strategy and company culture are. It’s made me more mindful of the bigger picture, beyond just building features.
Channel: Roman Pichler
Why I Love It:
Roman Pichler’s focus on Agile and Scrum methodologies has been extremely useful as I try to grasp the best practices for working in an Agile team. His step-by-step explanataions of product vision, roadmaps, and user stories have been great for building a foundation in Agile product management. Personally, I am still getting used to working in Agile environments, Roman’s clear and actionable advice has provided clarity on how to apply these methods in a more structured way in the future when I require.
How It’s Helped Me:
His content has demystified Agile processes for me, particularly in how to create and maintain a product backlog, which was something that I initially found difficult to grasp. The way he breaks down complex concepts into digestible videos has made Agile feel much more approachable.
Channel: Reforge (Brian Balfour)
Why I Love It:
As I’ve been learning more about product management, one area that fascinates me is growth and how products evolve after launch. Bria Balfour’s channel focuses on exactly that. He’s a growth expert, and his videos provide deep insights into scaling products, understanding product-market fit, and building growth loos. His data-driven approach has pushed me to think beyond the immediate needs of a product and look at how I can drive long-term user engagement and retention.
How It’s Helped Me:
Growth strategies was an area that I didn’t really focus that much as opposed to more prominent concepts like Agile methodologies, but Brian’s content has been a great introduction. His explanations of how to create self-sustaining growth loops really shifted my perspective on product management, making me realise that successful products are built with growth baked in from the start.
Channel: Reforge (Brian Balfour)
Why I Love It:
As I’ve been learning more about product management, one area that fascinates me is growth and how products evolve after launch. Bria Balfour’s channel focuses on exactly that. He’s a growth expert, and his videos provide deep insights into scaling products, understanding product-market fit, and building growth loos. His data-driven approach has pushed me to think beyond the immediate needs of a product and look at how I can drive long-term user engagement and retention.
How It’s Helped Me:
Growth strategies was an area that I didn’t really focus that much as opposed to more prominent concepts like Agile methodologies, but Brian’s content has been a great introduction. His explanations of how to create self-sustaining growth loops really shifted my perspective on product management, making me realise that successful products are built with growth baked in from the start.
Channel: SVPG (Marty Cagan)
Why I Love It:
Marty Cagan’s channel is perfect for understanding the more strategic side of product management. As someone new to the field, I’ve found that it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day details of building features and solving immediate problems. Marty’s content, however, reminds me to take a step back and think about the bigger picture – what i means to build products that truly solve user problems and create value. His focus on empowering product teams to take ownership of their work really resonates with me, especially as I start thinking about leadership and team dynamics in product management.
How It’s Helped Me:
One of Marty’s videos, “Empowered Product Teams”, struck a chord with me. It shifted my thinking from just delivering features to focusing on solving real customer problems, which is a mindset that I’m trying to cultivate. His insights have made me think more critically about how I can contribute to building a team culture that prioritises innovation and user-centric design.
Conclusion
Starting out in product management has been an exciting journey, and these YouTube channels have played a pivotal role in helping me navigate the complexities of the field. From learning the basics of Agile to understanding the intricacies of growth strategies, eahc channel has contributed to my development in different ways. If you’re new to product management just like I am, or even if you’ve been in the field for a while, I highly recommend giving these channels a watch. They’ll not only help you build your knowledge but also inspire you to think critically about the products you’re working on.
As an active member of King Edward VII Hall in his freshman year, Shao Kang has recently joined our Publicity Team to further utilise his background in information systems to explore the world of Product Management. His new role with us will involve curating blog articles to appeal to prospective enthusiasts of product, while honing his own interest in its different aspects. He was also previously in charge of securing logistics and sponsors for Ethelontêr 20 - the flagship Freshmen Orientation Camp of NUS Students’ Community Service Club.