How To Learn Product Management for Free

I asked a Product Manager friend, what he would do today if he wanted to learn it without any expensive course or a fancy MBA

Picture by Julia M Cameron

I made all the notes and created this no-BS guide with 8 tactical steps to help you gain knowledge in product management:

1. Learn by Reverse-Engineering Products

• Pick a product you love (e.g., Spotify, Notion, or Duolingo).
• Analyze its features: What problem does it solve? Who is the target user?
• Break down its user flow and write out the steps (e.g., onboarding, core actions).

Create a mock product requirements document (PRD) for one feature.

A PRD (Product Requirements Document) is a detailed document that outlines the requirements for a product or feature to be developed. It serves as a guide for the product team, designers, developers, and other stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned on the product’s purpose, functionality, and scope.

Typically, a PRD includes the following elements:

Product Overview: A brief description of the product or feature, its goals, and the problem it aims to solve.