#ProMa: Product Management Tools, Methods and Some Off-the-wall Ideas

Based on his popular blog, Dinker Charak brings a collection of tools, methodologies, and some unexpected approaches to Product Management. He also talks about his entrepreneurial journey from the eye of a Product Manager and discusses the strategy and its failures.

Each chapter is complete in itself and focused on a specific theme. Some chapters may rely on concepts introduced in details in a previous chapter. However, a reader can still benefit from it without know details from the earlier chapters.

The book is divided into three sections.

The first section (chapters 1-6) is about various tools & methods Dinker has created and used for Product Management. These include the Product Management Canvas and the Product workshops he runs.

The second section (chapters 7-18) is about various thoughts and ideas that Dinker has around what it means to be a Product Managers and Product Management.

The third section (chapters 19-26) is about entrepreneurship and based on his experience as a founder who hasn't succeeded yet. It also has some ideas on team building, mainly around a novel concept of Dirty-Work Group.

Key Takeaway from the Book #ProMa

The book covers the entire lifecycle of a product/business evolution and introduces a lot of handy artifacts - checklists, frameworks, tools, etc. - that can be readily used at various stages of evolution.

There are plenty of practical ProMa tools you can use every day and also the philosophical exploration of the subject through lenses as varied as Indian materialism, Francis Bacon (he of the scientific method), and Rene Descartes and Sociology.

Who Should Read the Book #ProMa The First Timer:

Has a tech, business or design background. Is now a Product Manager for a B2C product. Is poly-skilled enough to get the job but worried if is knowledgeable to pull it along.

An Experienced ProMa:

Has been a ProMa in an Enterprise that is building a B2B product. Has done MBA and/or has a technical background. With the expectation of B2B products to respond to market at speed of startups and with Usability of B2C products, is looking for ideas on how to reinvent the attitude towards this job.

An Entrepreneur / Founder:

Realising that a Founder is the first Product Manager of the startup's Product, the Founder wants to ensure a proper approach is taken and not detail falls through the cracks and is looking for tools and checklists to ensure all basis are covered.

Business Folks: ProMa help monetise a business opportunity via a Product. For key business owners, it is important to understand what a ProMa does and how does a ProMa think. This book can help them understand the variety of aspects of a ProMa, gain a better appreciation and establish meaning and deep partnerships. Early Praise for #ProMa

Dinker offers an enjoyable potpourri of helpful advice and ideas from his experience in consulting and his experiments with building products.

- Sriram Narayan, Digital-IT management consultant, ThoughtWorks & Author Agile IT Organization Design

A brilliant resource for all consultants, irrespective of the role they are in, and not just Product Managers. Dinker has poured his years of experience into this one book. He covers the entire life cycle of a product/business evolution and introduces a lot of handy artifacts - checklists, frameworks, tools, etc. - that can be readily used at various stages of evolution. He sheds light on the real-life charms and challenges of building a product and does so in a simple yet eloquent manner. Keep an open mind and give this book a read - you'll, later on, thank him for providing a wealth of knowledge on the topic.

- Devangana Khokhar, Senior Data Scientist & Strategist, ThoughtWorks & Author Gephi Cookboo