Effective Strategies for Staying Updated in the Digital Era

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Course #1: Become a Product Manager | Learn the Skills & Get the Job – Udemy
• Course #2: Product Management Essentials – Coursera
• Course #3: Product design by Google – Udacity
• Course #4: Fundamentals of Product Management – Skillshare
• Course #5: Intermediate SQL for Product Managers – Codecademy
• Conclusion

Introduction

Product management is a critical function in any organization that deals with the development and life-cycle management of a product. Product managers are responsible for defining and communicating the product vision and strategy, working with cross-functional teams to bring the product to market and continuously improving the product based on customer feedback. Having the right skills and knowledge is essential for product managers to be successful in their role. However, not everyone has access to expensive training and resources.

In this blog post, we will be discussing 10 free online product management courses that can help product managers enhance their skills and drive success. These courses are readily available and cover a wide range of topics such as product strategy, user experience, and data analysis. Taking free online courses is a great way to learn and grow, they can help product managers stay current with the latest industry trends, and enhance their skills without breaking the bank.

Whether you are a new product manager or a seasoned pro, these courses are a valuable resource for anyone looking to take their product management skills to the next level. In this blog post, we will be discussing the curriculum, benefits, and other details of these courses that are designed to help product managers enhance their skills and drive success.

Course #1: Become a Product Manager | Learn the Skills & Get the Job – Udemy

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of product management and covers the essential concepts, tools, and techniques that product managers need to be successful. The course is designed for beginners and covers the basics of product management, including product strategy, user research, and product development. The curriculum includes lessons on defining the product vision and strategy, conducting user research, creating product roadmaps, and managing the product development process. The course also covers important topics such as creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), working with cross-functional teams, and conducting market research. The course is taught by experienced product managers and industry experts like Cole Mercer and Evan Kimbrell. The course also includes interactive quizzes, real-world examples, and practical exercises to help learners apply what they have learned. By the end of the course, learners will have a solid understanding of the product management process and will be able to create a product strategy and develop a product that meets customer needs.

Benefits of taking the course:

1. Understand the varying role of a Product Manager through different types and sizes of companies
2. Understand the modern Product Development Process that both Fortune 500s and Startups adhere to
3. Differentiate between Direct, Indirect, Substitute, and Potential competitors
4. Learn software development concepts like APIs, mobile development, Front End, Back End, MySQL, programming frameworks, and more
5. Run a variety of MVP experiments, such as pitch experiments, redirects, shadow buttons, and more
6. Interactive quizzes, real-world examples, and practical exercises help learners apply what they have learned.

The course is self-paced and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. It can be a great resource for product managers who are new to the field and want to learn more about the basics of product management.

Check course link here.

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Course #2: Product Management Essentials – Coursera

This course delves into the key elements that contribute to a successful product management framework by examining the role of the product manager within an organization, as well as the key responsibilities that come with the position. It will also explore the essential skills and competencies required to effectively carry out these responsibilities. To further deepen understanding, the course will discuss how product managers interact with the product team and stakeholders to develop and manage successful products. Effective product management also involves the ability to establish, organize, and lead a team. This includes understanding the typical product development life cycle and being able to choose the appropriate development methodology for the specific product and target market. In order to tackle these challenges in leading a product team, the course will delve into the different stages of product development and the roles that product managers play in each step. It will also examine various team structures and product development methodologies, as well as the significance of creating a team charter. Additionally, the course will examine the opportunities and challenges that come with market development and commercialization by providing an overview of crucial marketing concepts that are vital for developing and launching innovative products and services. Dr. James V. Green leads the education activities of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute. He is responsible for designing and teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, leading seed funding programs, and managing residential entrepreneurship programs for students.

Benefits of taking the course:

1. Discover the roles and responsibilities of the product manager.
2. Understand how innovative product teams are organized and managed.
3. Explore marketing challenges, common marketing mistakes, knowing your customer, and rethinking the 4P’s of marketing.
4. Examine how to develop customers, solve customer problems, segment markets, and expand your market.

This course is self-paced and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. It can be a great resource for product managers who are new to the field and want to learn more about the basics of product management.

Check course link here.

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Course #3: Product Design by Google – Udacity

Over the years, Silicon Valley startups have developed a series of frameworks and best practices for product design. Through startup case studies and interviews with industry experts, we want to bring you the best of Silicon Valley with lessons you can apply to influence the design of your mobile or web app. By the end of the course, you will know how to perform a Google Design Sprint (developed at Google Ventures and exclusively taught in this course) to design, prototype and test your ideas. You will also learn to design low fidelity mockups for your product and capture appropriate metrics. If you’re considering moving into product management, Google’s product design course on Udacity is a unique course option. It’s designed to help you take an idea from your head to the design table so you can transform your product idea into a business. Taught by industry experts at Google, you will learn through a blend of theory and practical hands-on learning, the process of product validation, best UI/EX practices,  Google’s Design Sprint, and how to identify and measure important metrics. There are four modules in all, and it is intended to be taken over a four month timeframe. Interactive quizzes, a student support community, and rich learning content make this a top choice for free online product management courses. 

Benefits of taking this course:

You will learn from expert course leads Chris Saden and Amir Shevat. Where they will enlighten you on the following topics:

• Ideation & Validation
  • Develop, validate and refine your ideas to build for a product/market fit.
  • Case studies and interviews with founders, product experts, and investors.
  • Learn how to efficiently conduct user research and build an entrepreneurial mindset.
• UI/UX
  • Go beyond visual style to understand material design, building for accessibility, user flows and personas. 
  • Learn about how startups make design decisions and learn from senior designers at Google. 
  • Analyze the user experience of another product and start documenting a user flow for your own product. 
• Design Sprint
  • Created by Google Ventures, the Design Sprint Process is widely used by teams seeking to design, prototype, and test their ideas with customers. 
  • Google’s leading Design Sprint Master will help you go through all the steps required to validate your ideas and build mockups of your product.
  • Get a first-hand look at how design sprints happen at Udacity and how you can design & conduct your own
• Key Metrics
  • Learn to identify common metrics for websites and apps relating to traffic, customer satisfaction, and engagement.
  • Learn tools that can be used to monitor metrics and examples from startups on what metrics not to measure.
  • Identify actionable metrics that will work best for your own product.

Check the course link here.

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Course #4: Fundamentals of Product Management – Skillshare

In this course, you’ll learn Product Management fundamentals by working on a project. You can start from an idea that you already have, or pick one during the course. There are no prerequisites. This is perfect for first-time entrepreneurs who need to get started on a product, designers/engineers who are curious about what PM really is, and career-switchers who want to get into PM. This course is conducted by Ellen Chisa and is designed for product managers who want to learn about product development and user experience. The curriculum includes lessons on creating a product vision, user research, and product development. In this course we’ll go from nothing to a concrete plan to build your side project. We’ll practice the fundamentals as we create a toolkit of deliverables that Product Managers use day-to-day. The things you’ll make and upload to the project gallery are:

• Your idea list
• Vision & goals for one idea
• Prioritized feature list
• User flows
• Rough wireframes to sketch your ideas
• Development plan

The course is self-paced and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. It can be a great resource for product managers who have some experience in product management and want to learn more about advanced topics and best practices.

Check the course link here.

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Course #5: Intermediate SQL for Product Managers – Codecademy

Once you have the SQL foundation you need, it’s time to apply those skills on-the-job. Designed for Marketers, Product Managers, Consultants, and Data Analysts, this course will teach you advanced techniques to work with data and frameworks specific to your career. You’ll investigate user churn metrics, interpret usage funnels, and analyze first- and last-touch marketing attribution methodologies — all leading up to a Warby Parker capstone project. The course includes interactive exercises, quizzes, and real-world examples to help learners apply what they have learned. You don’t just watch or read about someone else coding — you write your own code live in their online, interactive platform. You’ll even get AI-driven recommendations on what you need to review to help keep you on track.

Benefits of taking this course:

1. Usage Funnels Analyze Warby Parker’s marketing funnel from Quiz –> Home Try-On –> Purchase in order to calculate conversion rates.
2. User Churn Analyze churn for two groups of CodeFlix users and recommend which segment represents a better long-term user base.
3. Marketing Attribution Help CoolTshirts, an innovative apparel shop, improve their marketing campaigns.

Check the course link here.

Conclusion

In conclusion, product management is a critical function that requires a combination of skills and knowledge to be successful. These 10 free courses offer a comprehensive introduction to the field of product management and provide practical skills and knowledge that can be applied to your work. Whether you are new to the field or an experienced product manager, these courses offer something for everyone. Taking these courses will give you a solid understanding of the product management process, including how to create a product vision, conduct user research, and develop a product that meets customer needs. You will also learn about important topics such as creating a minimum viable product (MVP), working with cross-functional teams, and conducting market research. These courses are self-paced and can be accessed anytime, anywhere, making them a convenient way to enhance your product management skills and drive success. Taking these courses can help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a product manager, and help you to develop a product that meets customer needs and drive success.