Jeff Lerner Review by Bonnie Kromer
Review by Bonnie Kromer
If you ever meet Jeff learner you will find that he is exactly as he appears to be on all of the YouTube videos. His material is completely life-transforming and has made a huge dent towards helping making a lot more money than I ever have.
Discover the power of reading more books for entrepreneurs and their success.
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Remember those old-fashioned things that collect dust on your shelf?
It’s time to blow off the cobwebs and start turning some pages because today I want to remind everyone of the importance of reading.
It’s a habit that we do less and less of despite how amazing it is for our brain and overall mental health.
So, how many books have you read this year?
30? 15? 3?
The terrible truth is that a whopping 27% of Americans didn’t read a single book last year.
I’m here to change that.
Everyone knows that reading is good for you and your knowledge but I’m here to remind you of a few vital reasons why we should all read more.
So let's get into it!
Don’t forget to hit subscribe to my channel while you’re over on my YouTube channel, and turn on notifications to ensure you don’t miss my next video!
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Swipe to Unlock: The Primer on Technology and Business Strategy (Fast Forward Your Product Career: The Two Books Required to Land Any PM Job)
by Neel Mehta (Author), Aditya Agashe (Author), Parth Detroja (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars
Authored by 3 Product Managers at Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, Swipe to Unlock This is a complete guide to the essential concepts of technology and business strategy. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in design, product management marketing, consulting, or business strategy positions in the technology business.
The Swipe to Unlock feature was modified in 2020 and was updated to contain more than 40 pages of brand new content. to keep you informed of the latest technology and developments. technology. *** We strongly recommend purchasing our book through Amazon instead of an independent seller since this is the sole way you can be sure you're getting the latest version.
This The #1 Amazon Business Bestseller won a medal from the North American Book Awards and was included in The Wall Street Journal , Forbes , and Business Insider. Swipe to Lock is translated in 11 different languages It included Chinese, Korean, & Russian as well as Russian, Chinese, and Korean Touted to be "our generation's Rosetta Stone for enabling anyone to peer into the technology changing everyday life" written by Jeremy Schifeling.
Swipe to unlock shows you how to think like an engineer through real-world scenarios such as:
How do Spotify decide what songs it will suggest to you?
What made KaiOS become the third most popular mobile operating system in only two years from the time it was launched?
Why is it that Amazon provide free shipping on Prime in the event that it is losing money?
How could a single error cause 20% to be lost on the internet?
What was the reason Microsoft purchase LinkedIn?
In breaking down issues such as this, Swipe to unlock lets you peek inside the workings of the technology that you use every day. It explains the technology's most talked about buzzwords and explains how technology is altering the world we live in whether for good or bad.
Topics Covered: Software Development Business Models & Strategies, Economics, Hacking & Security, Hardware & Robots, The Internet, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Technology Policy, Emerging Markets, Future Trends and more!
Featured Companies: Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Uber, WeChat, Yelp, Tinder, Washington Post, Grab, Toyota, GoJek, Samsung, Salesforce, M-Pesa, Quora, KaiOS, Twitter, Tesla, ByteDance, Airbnb, Robinhood, Adobe, Alibaba, Netflix, Paytm, Target, and many other companies!
Find the answers you require to pass your tech-related interviews or become a more knowledgeable digital citizen. Get Swipe to unlock today to discover why it's the Top technology book for gifts of 2020!
Swipe to Unlock: An Essential for a PM Interview
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2019
Whenever I asked my PM friends how to prep for product management interviews, I kept hearing the same three things: read Decode and Conquer, read Swipe to Unlock, and do mock interviews. I had already read Decode and Conquer and had been doing mocks, but hadn't heard of Swipe to Unlock until I started talking to people in the industry.
Although this book isn't branded as a PM interview book, in my opinion, it was MUCH more insightful than Cracking the PM Interview. I found Cracking focused largely on what product management is and how it varies by company. While that's definitely useful information, it is oriented towards beginners.
I found Swipe to Unlock did a wonderful job complementing Decode and Conquer. While Decode and Conquer gives you an overview of what sort of questions to expect and examples of good responses, it doesn't really go into the tech trends or business strategy required to give a truly stellar interview response. That's where Swipe to Unlock comes in.
Through reading this book, I learned key insights on things such as the ridesharing market and the digital wallet ecosystem in Aisa and the key growth strategies for cloud SaaS. These were critical in helping me land APM offers from both Uber and Asana straight out of undergrad. For anyone prepping for a PM interview, I'd recommend reading Swipe to Unlock, then Decode and Conquer, and then doing mock interviews, Doing those things in that order is a killer combo.
A Must-Read for All Those Interested in Breaking into the Tech World
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2019
I am a PM at Quora and discovered Swipe to Unlock through our company book club. One of our leads nominated it as our read of the month. Our books are usually more of stories (e.g. Bad Blood) rather than case studies, so I was a bit reluctant reading “a primer” given that I have been working in tech for almost 8 years now. I have to hand it to the authors though, they did a phenomenal job incorporating vivid storytelling into the book!
Each chapter of the book is full of key insights regarding business trends and tech developments. I think this book is a must read for everyone working in tech, but especially product management professionals. There’s few good resources to help PMs think big and critically analyze opportunity. I think Swipe to Unlock and Zero to One are probably the best books on the market for that.
I was familiar with at least half the material in this book, but I previously lacked the ability to explain the concepts in ways that non-technical members of my team could understand and thus comprehend the significance of the technical product decisions we were making. So this book definitely helped with that. But, the real value I got from this book was in the later chapters which focused more on business strategy and emerging market trends.
Having a Western-centric user base at Quora, I haven’t yet had much exposure to the tech trends in high growth tech markets such as South East Asia. This book does a phenomenal job breaking down key growth strategies other companies have used to successfully win market share in emerging markets. It also reveals that rationale behind major acquisitions such as Microsoft acquiring LinkedIn and provides actionable analysis on what things to look for to make an acquisition successful.
If you are a product manager, I would highly recommend reading this book. It will broaden your perspective from thinking how to incrementally improve your product to how to spot the next major opportunity. I just ordered copies for both of my reports to read
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2019
After I blew my Microsoft PM interview by not being knowledgeable about enterprise cloud trends, a friend suggested I read Swipe to Unlock. I was on the fence about getting this book as it costs almost $30 with shipping and tax at the time. However, I am extremely glad I made the investment.
Swipe to Unlock is essentially a collection of case studies on random important information that you aren't really taught in school (motivation behind various acquisitions, tech industry trends, recent gov't, and tech policy rulings, analysis based predictions, etc.)
I read this book before my on-site for a PM role at Google. One of my Google interviews focused heavily on emerging markets payment solutions. Before reading Swipe to Unlock, I knew nothing about this topic and would have been forced to give a vague and uninformed response.
Luckily for me, this book had a very insightful payment section which went over the key mobile payment players in each region (eg. WeChat, Paytm, M-Pesa, etc.) The book also predicted that in Southeast Asia, ride sharing drivers would in the future serve as mobile cash in, cash out ATMs to power digital wallets. Given Google is a major investor in GoJekm the leading ridesharing app and digital wallet in Indonesia, sharing this insight went over very well in my interview. I honestly don't think I would have gotten my Google offer had I not read this book.
I think this book is a must-read for anyone interested in working in tech, especially Product Managers. Everyone has some knowledge gaps whether it be the technical side, the business side, the legal side, etc. Swipe to Unlock does an amazing job of giving you a thorough overview of obscure must know things that may show up in your interviews. Although this book isn't written like a traditional interview prep book, reading it will definitely help you stand out in your intervi
This Book Got Me A Product Management Internship as a College Junior
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2018
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The best thing about this book is the critical thinking behind every chapter; when you read it you understand WHY tech companies operate the way they do. This intuitive element is what sets the book above practically every resource I have been recommended.
I was prepared head and shoulders above my peers when interviewing season came around. Not only did I speak intelligently on the subject matter, but was also able to cite a recent product decision and bring my own insight to the table based on what I learned here.
If you have any doubts, take it from me that this is the MOST HELPFUL book published for folks starting from ground zero when it comes to tech. Happy reading!
30 people found this helpful
Great explanations of tech concepts
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2018
I have adopted this book for the Tech Law course that I teach at Oklahoma State University as a supplement to my book - The Legal Guide to Social Media. Students today will be working with technology regardless of their chosen career. This book provides an excellent base for understanding how technology works. While my course focuses on the legal aspects, this book fills in the gaps in students' knowledge. By understanding the "how" of technology, the risks and concerns of using technology (and the use of the internet) become more apparent. While I always make the point that law has not kept up with technology (my area of research), it is still important for those employed in the tech field (or any industry using technology) to be able to identify issues before they become problems. My course (which I previously taught at Washington State University for four years) covers online torts, intellectual property issues, privacy and data security, government regulations, and my predictions regarding the law of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality. This book is perfect for my purposes, especially as I have not had the opportunity to update mine to address new technology. While this is not a legal guide, I would recommend this to anyone wanting to better understand what is behind the page you see online, how searches work, the basics of data analytics, why tech companies acquire other businesses, and what an app on your phone really
Amazing Book for People Entering Product
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2018
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I am an undergraduate student currently, who has been seeking product management internship opportunities. I found out about this book after seeing a LinkedIn post by the author. I don’t have a CS background, so I decided to give the book a read to see if I can gain any cool insight. From the first page to the last page, this book was extremely engaging, using interesting examples of current products and how they work. It dives into how those products are built, which users they are for, success metrics, monetization, and go-to-market strategies. I’ve been able to apply these concepts I’ve learned in my product interviews, and I’ve been able to land offers at competitive firms as a result. Parth, Aditya, and Neel, thanks for writing this book. It’s engaging, insightful, and innovative.
26 people found this helpful
You might think you have the whole picture, but do you?
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2021
Every designer and marketer will probably tell you that if you want your material to stick, you need a tell a good story. Some would think that a book about the intersection of tech and business strategy should be as dry as a printer manual.
Somehow this book manages to answer questions that we think we have the complete answers to ("why does Tinder ask you to log in using Facebook?") and does it in an entirely accessible and compelling format.
Each section is broken down into a collection of business stories that illustrate core aspects of the lesson and exemplify the traits (good and bad) that have made companies successful at the intersection of business and tech.
It is an ideal resource for people seeking to fill in the gaps in their understanding of key concepts such as business strategy, market segmentation, app monetization, technology policy, etc.
I read it in under a day, so yes, it's excellent.
Highest possible recommendation!
If you want to understand the business strategy behind FAANG....
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020
This book is good for techies and non-techies, as it is easy to read.
That being said, the value of the explanations behind why companies undertook certain routes, gambles or just how they connected the dots for decisions made, would be of interest to anyone trying to understand how the big companies are constantly moving technology forward.
Though all the examples are about past or just recent events, the authors give you an insight into how strategies were determined and also insight into emerging trends and potential possibilities for the future.
The authors cover many topics and answer various questions that the reader may or may not have thought of themself.
Read this book and lift the veil on how the big tech companies "think".
10 people found this helpful
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2017
While I love my computer science major, I realized it didn’t directly teach me anything about the tech industry: what the cloud is, how Facebook designs your newsfeed, why companies acquire startups, etc. Courses were just bogged down in too much code and math to give us any big picture insights.
So I bought Swipe to Unlock and, wow, I wish we had a class where you literally read this book and nothing else. This book uses short and entertaining cases to explain operating systems, software development, big data, hacking, etc. I thought the case on how a single typo took down 20% of the internet sounded really cool, so I read it and within 5 minutes I knew more about the pros and cons of cloud computing than I had from years of coding.
I’m trying to get a job more on the business side of tech, and there’s so much good stuff here: why Microsoft bought LinkedIn, why Amazon offers Prime, how apps make money, etc etc. I really feel like I’m now able to think strategically and scientifically about why tech companies make the decisions they do. (The Amazon Prime case in particular is super cool, and I couldn’t stop talking about it at lunch the other day!)
Also it’s insane just how clear and easy-to-read this book was. They have really memorable and fun ways to remember important concepts — the cloud is like Uber, the internet works like shipping hot sauce, and so on. All this without any jargon at all. These guys are so good that I feel like they could explain rocket science to a layperson in two minutes.
Basically, if you want to really understand how the tech you use every day actually works, get this book!!!
28 people found this helpful
Product manager reference I keep coming back to
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2021
This book was recommended in various sources online as required reading for Product Management interviews. I read it last year and didn't realize how much I would actually enjoy the case studies. It's organized very effectively and poses really interesting questions that are basically ripped from the headlines: how do these big Tech companies make money off their free products, what differentiates their products, why do they behave in ways that seem counterintuitive? What's going on with tech in the developing world? What does the future hold? How do we protect ourselves as users of these technologies?
My criteria for what makes a good non-fiction book is how many times I turn over to my partner and say "Hey, did you know that..." Which for this book, I did very often. My partner is a software engineer and he still learned some interesting things from this book.
I just came back to this book this year as I'm preparing for interviews again. I re-read my highlighted Kindle passages (of which I had many). This jogged my memory. I realized that each case study / response was written in a very easy to understand and succinct way. Highly recommended.
Rick LobrechtTop Contributor: Star Wars
recommended to learn more about business of technology
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2019
I read the Kindle edition of Swipe to Unlock.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Swipe to Unlock, but with such a high rating on Amazon, I felt it was worth taking a look at it. The authors suggest that experienced technologists could skip around, but I decided to read it straight through.
Written in a case study format, Swipe to Unlock is a primer on the business of technology. Covering topics ranging from Artificial Intelligence, Internet Advertising, Self-driving cars, and Blockchain. The articles are written in an easy to read conversational tone, and should be consumable by anyone with a basic interest and knowledge of technology.
With just under 1500 references, Swipe to Unlock is a well researched book, with a lot to offer. I recommend it to anyone looking to increase their knowledge of why internet and technology companies work the way they do.
9 people found this helpful
Practical, insightful, and an easy read.
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2018
I studied finance in college, and am currently in a product management role. I found that this book did an excellent job of conveying important technology concepts. Working as a PM, I have come to realize that being technical can make you better at your job and improve your communication with developers. This book provided me with the technical jargon I was lacking. Even as someone with a business background, I found that this book did a great job of relaying the business side of technology, and presenting real-life cases. What I enjoyed most about this book was how easy it was to follow. All in all, this is a must read for anyone interested in joining a technology company in any capacity.
2 people found this helpful
Awesome big-picture book about the industry for both technical and non-technical people
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2021
I'm a university student studying CS, so my main competency is in programming and the technical side of things. I've always been mostly aloof to the industry and business side of the equation.
The first two sections helped me to be able to explain technical concepts to non-technical people. The authors' use of metaphors for concepts usually shrouded in jargon is really poignant and helps me to better explain these to family and friends.
The last section on business strategy taught me a lot about how the industry operated and why the "tech" industry is not like any other industry. My favorite sections were on net neutrality, eastern vs. western markets, and possible futures of self-driving cars and AI.
Some reviewers complain that you'd know all this if you stayed up-to-date with tech news sites, which is true. But I don't have the time to read tech news every day. And they take many of the best insights from the news and integrate it into the book. I appreciate the ample sourcing and endnotes for further reading.
If you are involved in the tech industry in any way or are just curious about it, then you should get this book.
My only complaint is that the book is ONLY available on amazon. I wish the authors made it available from multiple websites. Kind of ironic considering their final chapter, "Why are so many companies afraid of Amazon?" explains why amazon can dominate any industry they enter.
6 people found this helpful
Superb book must read for everyone in the tech industry
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020
“If you are not paying for the product, you are the product.”
As a Product Manager, I always knew how meaningful this sentence was. But after reading through the book “Swipe To Unlock” I understood it better, how understanding Technology as a Business counterpart is equally significant, for a deeper insight into the first sentence I wrote above..Thanks a ton to Neel Mehta Parth Detroja and Aditya Agashe who have taken me on an informative and creative journey covering 12 important milestones from What’s In today to What’s Next tomorrow..I wish I had read this book 3 years ago as it would have changed my perspective to look at this gigantic software industry in a smoother fashion. Thereby I recommend this book to any tech enthusiast wanting to switch from tech to Business industry or a Market Ninja who wants to understand basics of technology while selling or marketing product to go through this book..It eventually makes you a better informed digital citizen.. the only step you need to take is “SWIPE TO UNLOCK”
The End to a New Beginning...
9 people found this helpful
Packed with very interesting information!
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2019
This book is written in simple language and answers important and interesting questions that are highly relevant in today's day and age. For instance, "Why did a Wall Street trader drill through the Allegheny Mountains to build a straight fiber-optic cable?" exposes one to the world of High Frequency Trading with real cost and revenue numbers that are sure to impress and educate any reader.
Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to the business and policy side of technology. It's a very informative and entertaining read.
Highly Recommended!
One person found this helpful
"Senator, we run ads." -Zuck to Congress
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2019
Every member of Congress should read this!
“Senator, we run ads.”
—Mark Zuckerberg, in congressional testimony, explaining what the company actually does. The phrase quickly became a punchline at Facebook. April 10
“Congressman, iPhone is made by a different company.”
—Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, explaining why he can’t explain notifications on a device made by Apple. December 11
The book is an easy to read explanation of technology. Please read!
17 people found this helpful
A must read page turner book on tech
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2020
At first I thought this book was meant for project managers, but in reality, it for everybody especially now that we live in a world where everyone is using some form of technology. This book was an easy read as the chapters were short and concise, I can easily start and stop as I desired. However, I end up finishing the book much faster than any other book I been reading. To my surprise, I thought I knew a lot about the tech world since I work in the software industry, but this book was a reminded of how vast the tech world is and what the future lies ahead. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to tap into the tech industry.
Great book for anyone looking for an overview of the software & technology industry
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2021
My rating: 4.5 stars. It is a 5 star book for anyone new to the tech industry and a 4 star book for a product manager (like myself) who is doing continuing education.
This book is written in a very approachable style. It’s at a level where anyone could pick this up and read it to get a great general sense of the tech industry. Its thoroughly researched and cited if you want to dig in deeper on any topic covered.
It’s mostly focused on the biggest consumer facing technology companies, which is a double edged sword. It’s great because they are recognizable to everyone and those companies cover a wide range of technology and business practices. For myself, i would love a follow up book from the same authors that went deeper into the technologies and business practices in the b2b and enterprise software space. The sections on security and privacy and trends in emerging markets were 5/5.
This is a great book for anyone looking to learn more about the technology industry.
A thought provoking and enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2019
I choose reading this book because I wanted to get a better insight about strategic thinking in a business and cultural technology world that is rapidly changing. This book is very successful in demonstrating the line of thought for those who thought in a strategic manner and those who didn't and what happened. One notable example is the story of blackberry. It also demonstrates the dangerous way in which executives think about next quarter and end of year bonuses preferring the quick result on taking the pain of a strategic shift to save the core business a bit further.
The necessary technological terms and background is explained in a clear manner without going into much detail and the blend of the technology, surrounding culture and strategic thinking about that is demonstrated.
It was a highly enjoyable read that was informative and thought enhancing.
One person found this helpful
Boosted my confidence to pursue making an impact at the intersection of Management and Technology
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2018
I’m a student within an Integrated Business and Engineering program and am pursuing Management Consulting in my early career. I had just one intro to programming course which I did not enjoy - and even discouraged me from trying to work for a tech company (even in non-software roles). As someone wanting to make impact at the intersection management and technology - Swipe to Unlock was a perfect overview into Digital Technology concepts which previously seemed so overwhelming to learn. The reading was made easy due to the format of 2-3 page chunks answering highly relevant questions to my daily tech experiences (e.g. How does Spotify recommend you songs?). Thousands of links to further articles are provided whenever I want to dig deeper. Additionally, the technology concepts are clearly linked to Business Strategy - giving me more confidence in explaining how the technology industries various areas are monetized.
One person found this helpful
Perfect book for beginners in tech industry!
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2019
I follow Parth Detroja in LinkedIn and used to get awestruck reading his predictions on tech company strategies and even made up my mind that one day I would work with/for him. It was because of his posts, I got intrigued into reading swipe to unlock and purchased the kindle version. After reading the first two chapters, it became an addiction. I couldn't stop reading and was able to strike conversations with my classmates about the working of Spotify's algorithm, How Fedex works and Net neutrality etc. This book forever would be a treasure to anyone who needs to understand basic concepts in the tech industry. The way Parth, Adi, and Neel wrote this book is fascinating. I would highly recommend this book to all my friends and Amazon readers who are in the cusp of entering project management or strategic thinking. Thank you guys!!
One person found this helpful
Excellent immersive look into tech concepts
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2019
I purchased Swipe to Unlock to help prepare for interviews with technology companies. As a marketer without a technical background, the book was a comprehensive, yet easy-to-decipher rundown of several topics within the tech field. The authors do an incredible job boiling down many terms, theories, strategies, and processes, in a way that is engaging and makes sense. I love that the book is laid out in a series of case studies, as it makes going back to reference certain topics easy. I'd highly recommend to anyone with a general interest in technology or who wants to land a job at a tech company.
Concise and surprisingly good case studies
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2020
I'm already in tech, having worked at and founded several startups, mostly in hardware. I read tech strategy sites (like Stratechery) and HBS case studies often.
Going into this book, I was concerned that the case studies would be to basic for me, as I was familiar with the high-level strategies of a number of companies. But I was surprised to gain a number of new insights about tech, from the cultural differences of expanding into different markets, to user research techniques, to data protection and antitrust laws.
The book stays pretty high-level and doesn't go deep into any topic. But I found myself wanting to dive further into a number of areas.
In summary, whether you are totally unfamiliar with tech/business strategy or you've been in it for a while, this book is worth your time. In the future, I hope the authors offer an audiobook version.
Formatted incredibly logically
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2018
This book was formatted in a way that to put it simply, just makes sense! It's a great resource for people who are not "tech-y" but are interested in the industry. Often times, without a technical background, people might not even know what to ask. So by formatting this book with presumably popular questions about why tech companies make the decisions they do, it provides the reader needed context and a great introduction into the worlds of companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon.
2 people found this helpful
Building Blocks for Success in Tech and Business
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2019
As a Product Manager, Swipe To Unlock has been invaluable to say the least. In my role, a command of the fundamentals of business and computer science are requirements. And this book has not only given me a quick and efficient way to access topics like software development or cloud computing, but also by framing the chapters as questions they provide a way for you to place what could be purely theoretical in an applicable lense. The knowledge from this book has helped me conquer PM interviews, think more creatively about business models, and served as a good jump off point for me to further my studies in many areas of business. I fully recommend this book to any person looking to build the fundamental building blocks to be successful in a future of both business and tech.
One person found this helpful
So lets put it this way. I wish I came across this book sooner.
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2018
I'm a startup CEO and I recently conceived my concept nearly 8 months ago. From then to now, its been a constant barrage of googling and youtube videos in other to understand tech concepts in order to influence/ persuade investors, the team and other players. This book is more or less product management in a nutshell. It is written in a very easy to understand non-shakespeare-esque language and has a plethora of examples to drive in concepts of any point.
Through reading, I am able to understand concepts with much more convenience. Take the chapter on ads, for instance. The book breaks down business models of the Googles and Facebooks of the world for the common man. It breaks down PPIs and PPCs and Target ads better than what you can find online on youtube videos or a for dummies forum.
Definitely worth the purchase. Lots and lots of value. As for me, I'll continue reading and learning as I grind on my startup. Great resource to have!
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2017
Id describe this as a well-rounded "For Dummies" book on anything and everything a burgeoning digital enthusiast needs to start a journey into this field. The writers' rhetorical style is laid back and makes an otherwise overly technical subject approachable. Would recommend this to anyone like myself who is interested in a career in digital marketing or anyone who is curious about how the technology of today works and how these tech giants are racing to the top of the stock market.
3 people found this helpful
A great read worthy of my time
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2021
This book packs in a ton of information and breaks down technical concepts in ways that are easy to understand. The case studies were interesting and memorable, which made for a more enjoyable and quick ready. I would recommend this book to entry and mid-level Product Managers, Program Managers, Developers and anyone currently in a role or who aspire to be in a role that develops products or services. At the beginning of book the authors note that this book is not intended to teach you how to interview as a PM, but rather, it provides real-world examples that you can apply to your critical thinking and help shape your answers during Product Mgr interviews. I really like the authors made an effort to update the book. I also like that they provided linked video content to PM mock interviews, which reinforces how one might use the information in this book to formulate a 10/10 response. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it's not available on audible. I don't have a lot of time to read a book, so I prefer read-aloud content. I realize smartphones offer native voice-over features, which I tried. However, I don't like that voice-over changed the gestures on my phone.
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2017
To be completely honest, I thought most of these reviews were probably fake given how positive they are. However, when I scored the final round on-site at Google for their Associate Product Marketing Manager role, I started searching for things to read up on to prep. I came across a Business Insider article about a book written by someone who got offers from Google, Facebook, and Microsoft without ever taking a coding class that supposedly contained all the key tech and business info I needed to know to ace my interview. Seemed too good to be true, but for $10 I thought it was worth giving the benefit of the doubt.
Reading the book, I found it to be super engaging and a surprisingly quick read for something of its page count. It definitely doesn’t read like an interview prep book. It’s more like a Freakonomics for tech. It gives you a lot of understanding and insight into different technology and the industry dynamics on the business side. During my Google APMM interview, I got a lot of Google Pixel related questions. This book saved my ass by giving me deeper insight into the business strategy behind the Android operating system. I also got asked about Google Maps monetization opportunities and the section of APIs was super helpful for that. A lot of the interview was behavioral so this book essentially covered the two main “technical” subject matters I got drilled on.
I am super excited to say I got the Google offer and I will be accepting my place in 2018 APMM class. I honestly don’t think there’s any chance in hell I would have gotten the offer if I hadn’t read this book beforehand.
19 people found this helpful
Must have book for PM and TPM interview prep
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2019
I used the kindle version of this book for my PM interview prep and found this book to be really helpful. It's an easy read and quick to get through, and the value I got out of this book is not so much on understanding how some technologies would work, rather, how to explain them to the interviewers in an authentic and conversational fashion. As professionals in tech, we often assume that we understand these technologies well, but explaining them and story-telling based on that knowledge are a totally different game, and that's where this book really completed it for me.
I have been recommending this book to many of my friends who are preparing for Product Manager and Technical Program Manager interviews. It's definitely worth the investment and time. If nothing else, it adds to your confidence and strengthens your communication style in the upcoming interviews.