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Books, lectures, and recommendations

Last month we asked our product management experts about the transition from working at a startup to working at an enterprise. While each expert took a different path to enterprise product management, there were similarities. They told us that both startups and enterprises have intelligent, talented, and passionate people and that you’ll learn a lot in both places.

However, most of our experts made the switch from startup to enterprise because they wanted to deepen their product management skills and broaden their scope. They also ended up improving their communication skills because enterprises have many more stakeholders that must be heard and brought on board. Teamwork becomes more important than moving as fast as possible. The experts also stressed to get clear on your career goals and do a lot of research into company culture if you’re thinking about making the move to enterprise.

There was another question we asked them: ”What useful information sources helped you to move more smoothly through this transition?” The number and quality of resources they came back with were impressive. Based on their answers, we put together this selection of books and podcasts for product managers looking for inspiration and knowledge for their careers.

There are a few books that I consider must-read for anyone working on products. Today I’ll be talking about my favourite ideas from Peter Thiel’s iconic book Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

Here’s what the scholar Nassim Taleb has to say about Zero to One: “When a risk taker writes a book, read it. In the case of Peter Thiel, read it twice. Or, to be safe, three times. This is a classic.”

Taleb’s remark on Zero to One surprised me. And here is why.

At this point, I was already familiar with a few books written by Nassim Taleb. I had also read (for a few times) Thiel’s class notes that later became the manuscript for Zero to One. I really liked the harmony and sequence of thoughts in each of these books, but at the same time for me the perspectives on life of the authors seemed rather opposite.

One way or another, Zero to One is beyond amazing. I enjoy re-reading it every once in a while, and each time I find something new. And this is exactly what sets aside great books from good ones.

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