On My Shelf with Fadeelah Al-horaibi — Senior Product Manager at N26 (Barcelona)
About
I’m a Senior Product Manager at N26, ranked one of the top ten most valuable FinTech companies worldwide. Previously I was a PM at OLX, a global online marketplace operating in 45 countries. I’ve also founded a women’s fashion brand and spent five years teaching in secondary school education. I’m passionate about people’s motivations and behaviours, user-centricity, and women’s health & human rights.
On my shelf
Validating Product Ideas
Through Lean User Research
by Tomer Sharon
Why read?
It’s a combination of theory delivered through snippets of sarcasm, and reference to actual tools that enable the day-to-day application. Sharon introduces the easy-to-use, yet powerful, ‘rainbow spreadsheet’ tool for note-taking and collecting observations. I always use it during user interviews. When you have a research question in mind, use this book to help figure out which research methodology to use.
344 pages, Rosenfeld Media 2016
The Making of a Manager
by Julie Zhuo
Why read?
Even if becoming a people manager isn’t on your to-do list, I’d still recommend reading this book. Zhuo tells her story of becoming a manager, but she also shares what she expects from the people she manages in order for both sides to succeed. It upped my expectations of a manager and forced me to reflect on how I approach my own 121s.
288 pages, Portfolio 2019
Build Better Products
A Modern Approach to Building Successful User-Centered Products
by Laura Klein
Why read?
I’d constantly “borrow” this book from one of my best friends (a UX researcher at Google and one of the smartest people I know), so much so that in the end, I had to buy my own copy. It’s full of tools and methods to run ideation workshops to effort sizing exercises. It comes without the fluff that I’ve found in a lot of other books offering the same. Klein is straight to the point, has a great sense of humour and is an expert in the field.
368 pages, Rosenfeld Media 2016
The Design Of Everyday Things
by Don Norman
Why read?
Understanding the concept of mental models and their importance fuels meaningful discussions I have about UX/UI design, service design and research. On the downside, it sometimes amplifies my frustration when I interact with badly designed products and services. This book is highly entertaining and will help you challenge what you otherwise may not.
368 pages, Basic Books 2013
The Consolations of Philosophy
by Alain de Botton
Why read?
Product Management is not always about 2x2 matrices and defining problems. I often spend my time working my way through difficult conversations, telling myself to calm down for being overly…passionate, and, from time-to-time, disconnecting. This book strips back philosophy to the every day practical utility of it. It encouraged me to take a step back and reflect.
272 pages, Vintage 2001
The PM Library series “On my shelf” features Product Leaders from all over the world who are passionate about reading and sharing with the community. If you want to join the movement and share your reading list with others send us a message or fill out the following form. Let’s get better together 📚.
