Which books on product development should you read now
If you want to advance in the field of product development, here are our book recommendations to level up your process and strategy.
Resources about product development
There are many books and other resources about product development available. It might be overwhelming to look through all the information and decide which book is relevant to current market needs and is worth dedicating your time to.
We got you covered! We asked our product owners, engineers, and business developers which books on product development they recommend.
1. The Product Mindset: Succeed in the Digital Economy by Changing the Way Your Organization Thinks
Authors: David H. DeWolf, Jessica S. Hall
The Product Mindset approaches product development with a new direction. The authors provide you with tools to innovate your company’s methodologies, reframe its culture, and help you become more successful in the digital marketplace.
A very simple, easy-to-read book about how to thrive away from the project mindset, which is referred to as an IT-mindset here, and how to adapt to the product mindset. Lots of real-life examples through simple stories.
Terry, Product Owner
2. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
Authors: Blake Masters, Peter Thiel
Zero to One presents a new way of thinking about innovation, it teaches you to ask the questions that lead you to find value in unexpected places. It explores the idea of moving away from competing ruthlessly in today’s marketplace and focusing on the future and crafting a more unique approach to product development.
This book sets you in the right direction to foster innovation in your product ideas and development. It allows you to take a step back from your current processes and rethink the approach you have towards building new or upgrading the existing products.
Piruza, Chief Innovation Officer
3. The Lean Startup
Authors: Eric Ries
The book features lessons learned from lean manufacturing and relies on rapid experimentation and counter-intuitive practices that shorten product development cycles. The lean startup gives you the tools to shift product directions in a more flexible and agile way.
This book is very commonly known and referenced among product builders. It is a must-read if you’re in any way involved in product development.
Terry, Product Owner
4. Innovation as Usual: How to Help Your People Bring Great Ideas to Life
Authors: Paddy Miller, Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg
In short, this book guides you through the principles allowing innovation to happen in a way that’s both systemic and sustainable.
A great book that encourages the reader to think outside existing frames. It provides tools to encourage and recognize innovation. And as a senior innovator, it will teach you how not to kill others’ innovative ideas.
Terry, Product Owner
5. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Author: Nir Eyal
The book gives you great insight into ways to build products that users actually need and are willing to come back to again and again. Hooked features examples from the biggest players in the digital market as Instagram, Facebook, Google, Pinterest, and many more.
Hooked helps you rethink ways in which the user engages with the product and service you provide. It gives many valuable insights into the design and development of one of the most successful existing products. It is a must-read if you want to be more conscious of your product development process.
Piruza, Chief Innovation Officer
6. Winning at New Products: Creating Value Through Innovation
Author: Robert G. Cooper
The book outlines specific strategies for making stable business decisions throughout the entire process of product development from idea generation to launch.
A very methodical book by a very methodical Canadian professor. It teaches you how to kill bad product ideas fast and without hesitation. And much more.
Terry, Product Owner
7. Measure What Matters: OKRs: The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth
Author: John E. Doerr
Measure What Matters is about using Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), a revolutionary approach to goal-setting, to make tough choices in business. The book features growth examples from Intel, Google, Amazon, and Uber.
Measure What Matters is structured in a logical way and gives a great overview of the topic. Because of the comfortable design of the book, it can be quickly reviewed, which is what I often like to do.
Tanel, Data Scientist
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