Hi guys, are there any recommended certifications or courses that one can take to help with becoming a product lead?
I assume the courses would revolve around: Leadership, Project Management (still a vital component of corporate), etc.
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My hot take is that certifications are almost always overrated and resume fluff. If you want to become a product lead, find ways to be a great PM for your company, not just your team.
There are two important ways you need to demonstrate you can show up. First, you need strategic chops. Start researching the market and propose strategic moves and directions; influence the product strategy.
Second, improve team and cross-team processes. Show that you can improve how the product works for the organization.
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Try hitting your weaknesses with non-product courses.
Software engineering. Marketing. Finance and accounting. Data science. Storytelling. Writing, UX design. Join a coding boot camp. People management, how to motivate and handle tough decisions.
Doing anything with hardware? Learn about the hardware design process. Supply chains? Digital marketing? Hit those specific weaknesses in your skillset.
Learn some tools you may not have learned.
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Aside from books and blogs, there are a plethora of free/open talks from people who know their shit. If you’re looking to blow money, some of their close-knit training may be worth it.
Otherwise, when it was in person I would find certain conferences great for networking and trading tips with people.
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Read high output management.
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I always recommend taking certifications for PMs only if they are provided/paid for by the company (aka perk). My experience has been they are useful and helpful, but more high level and not always functional to your actual job. I’d recommend pragmatic marketing if you can get your company to swing it, or certified scrum master or certified product owner if you are at an agile heavy company. These certifications won’t get you a better job, but may make you stand out and you’ll learn a little in the process.
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We think alike. Our company likes to invest in professional development so I will be reimbursed for setting a learning module for myself and my team.
I will check out pragmatic marketing. Have definitely heard of them. I am generally very skeptical of certs as it is hard to know the quality. Almost everyone is posting some kind of certificate online and it makes me wonder -
- How relevant is it?
- How many people did not complete? or how hard is it?
- Are there real pre-requisites?
- What do I do with this once I am done? Will anyone ever value it?
That’s why I am leaning towards doing things instead of just learning things. Thanks!
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