Product Manager’s Desk Reference by Steven Haines
There are books and there are Books, and with 700+ pages, the Product Manager’s Desk Reference (PMDR) definitely falls in the latter category of capital B books. It’s not a book you can throw in your laptop bag to read on the plane (or train). Actually, you could, but you might not have room for your laptop!
There are many books (and blogs) out there that purport to tell you how to be a Product Manager. I have discussed some of them here before and there are many reviews on sites like Amazon. The PMDR is unique among them in that it covers a very broad range of Product Management topics and it covers them in significant depth.
And fortunately, the PMDR is not just limited to the traditional Product Management functions. Haines covers all the topics that a Product Manager would even remotely have to think about or interact with–Leadership, Finance, Team Management, Research, and Career Development, just to highlight some.
In previous book reviews, I have gone through the book and summarized the main points and added some comments (observations, critiques, or questions). That’s a bit harder this time around since the PMDR is so big and I don’t think that it would add much value. What I am going to do with this one is pick out some of my favorite topics or points and provide some guidance on who it would be good for (New Product Manager (NEW), Experienced Product Manager (EPM), Big Company Product Manager (BIG), Start Up Product Manager (SUP) or everyone):
| Topic | Starting Page | NEW | EPM | SUP | BIG |
| Stay Calm, Even When Your Hair’s on Fire | 48 | X | X | X | X |
| Documenting the Decision Process Chart | 92 | X | X | X | X |
| Basic Financial Statements | 106 | X | X | ||
| Competitive Positioning | 150 | X | X | X | X |
| Strategy as a Dynamic Continuum | 216 | X | |||
| SWOT | 237 | X | X | ||
| Product Strategy Review Template | 345 | X | X | ||
| Sorting Out Opportunities | 270 | X | X | ||
| So What?: The Value Proposition | 277 | X | X | X | X |
| Marketing Functional Support Plan | 297 | X | X | ||
| Product Performance and Monitoring | 311 | X | X | X | X |
| Eliciting Requirements | 326 | X | |||
| Functional Requirements | 331 | X | |||
| Make vs. Buy | 337 | X | X | X | X |
| Competitor Research | 392 | X | X | ||
| PM Role During Dev Phase | 416 | X | |||
| Decision Matrix for Development Changes | 437 | X | X | X | X |
| The 3 A’s of Product Launch | 451 | X | X | X | X |
| Win/Loss Audits | 481 | X | |||
| Recasting the Strategic Mix | 502 | X | X | ||
| Chapter 22 – Charting Your Career | 559 | X | X | X | X |
| Coaching Product Managers | 583 | X | X |
There is much more to the PMDR than what I have covered above, but I think the areas I highlighted are important topics that many Product Managers struggle with. Like others who have reviewed this book (On Product Management, Cranky PM, and Product Management Zen), I think this book is a welcome edition to the library of Product Management books out there and serves to provide a broad foundation for Product Managers both within the field and beyond.
Recommendation: The PMDR is a fantastic resource for any Product Manager who wants to fill in gaps in their training/education or who wants a good reference tool for revisiting some of the areas and skills that they don’t use as much. Due to its size, it’s not portable and I wish the templates were available electronically AND free of charge for book owners, but it’s still a great book that should be in every Product Managers library.
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That table is a great addition to your review! Good work. I read the thing straight-through and definitely agree some parts are more or less relevant depending on the type of company and your own experience level.
Have used this book for over a year and always find an answer when I need it. First reading was a great overview, but the best use for it is when you need another eye on your problem, or a more creative/productive direction for solutions. Looking at it as a cyclic process helps to see product management as what happens in “real life.” I highly recommend this addition to your PM library.