• What does it take to become a great product manager and great leader?


• How can you reliably ship products that make a difference in the world?


• How do you build your product intuition, hone your execution, strengthen your leadership, and develop your strategic skills?


• What does it take to lead and inspire teams?


• When is people management the right career move?


• How does excellence in those skills translate into career success?

• Design high-quality products that delight users and solve people's needs.


• Run and deliver your projects quickly, smoothly, and effectively.


• Create product visions and strategies to set direction and optimize for long-term impact.


• Lead people and influence without authority.


• Manage people, develop great PMs, build great teams, and create great product organizations.


• Manage your career so you can translate your efforts into the recognition you deserve.

• Getting Started: the product life cycle; the first 90 days


• Product Skills: user research; A/B tests; problem solving frameworks; systems thinking; product discovery; design sprints; ethical product design; technical terms and concepts; product documentation (specs and PRDs)


• Execution Skills: agile project management; minimum viable products (MVPs); incremental development; product launches; time management; overcoming obstacles


• Strategic Skills: product vision; strategy; roadmaps; goals and OKRs


• Leadership Skills: growth mindset; ownership mentality; influencing without authority; stakeholder management; collaboration; communication; inspiring a team; mentoring; working with designers, engineers, and executives


• People Management Skills: becoming a people manager; being a member of the leadership team; reviewing work; holding people accountable; coaching and development; recruiting and interviewing; product processes; organizational structures


• Careers: career ladders; career goals; partnering with your manager; picking the right team; negotiations; networking; handling bad situations; career options beyond PM


• Product Leader Q&A: in-depth career interviews with eleven successful product leaders who have chosen career paths including CPO, head of product, CEO, social impact work, venture capital, angel investing, coaching, and starting th

Cracking the Tech Career is the job seeker's guide to landing a coveted position at one of the top tech firms. A follow-up to The Google Resume, this book provides new information on what these companies want, and how to show them you have what it takes to succeed in the role. Early planners will learn what to study, and established professionals will discover how to make their skillset and experience set them apart from the crowd. Author Gayle Laakmann McDowell worked in engineering at Google, and interviewed over 120 candidates as a member of the hiring committee – in this book, she shares her perspectives on what works and what doesn't, what makes you desirable, and what gets your resume saved or deleted.

Apple, Microsoft, and Google are the coveted companies in the current job market. They field hundreds of resumes every day, and have their pick of the cream of the crop when it comes to selecting new hires. If you think the right alma mater is all it takes, you need to update your thinking. Top companies, especially in the tech sector, are looking for more. This book is the complete guide to becoming the candidate they just cannot turn away.

• Discover the career paths that run through the top tech firms
• Learn how to craft the prefect resume and prepare for the interview
• Find ways to make yourself stand out from the hordes of other applicants
• Understand what the top companies are looking for, and how to demonstrate that you're it

These companies need certain skillsets, but they also want a great culture fit. Grades aren't everything, experience matters, and a certain type of applicant tends to succeed. Cracking the Tech Career reveals what the hiring committee wants, and shows you how to get it.