Training Workshop Overview

Foundations 101 is an overview course intended for individuals who hold the title of Product Manager, or have some working knowledge of the product development process. The intention of this course is to help product managers develop a broader understanding of their role. It seeks to answer the questions:

– What are the core functions and primary responsibilities of a product manager?
– What does good product management look like?
– How do product managers know if they are adding value?

As such, the course is tightly focused on running an effective core team that is centered around inquiry-driven development process. Participants will improve their understanding of customer problems and perspectives, solution testing, delivery mechanisms, and team process.

What we’ll cover on the day

Foundations 101 is a full-day workshop that is comprised of nine modules. Each module includes a lecture component on theory and practice interspersed with up to three hands-on activities. This ensures that participants are afforded an opportunity to apply and work with concepts in a setting that will answer questions and facilitate critical thinking. The following modules will be covered:

– Learning mindsets: How inquiry breaks down at different points through the product development lifecycle
– Goals alignment: How to create effective goals and align the team and organisation around them
– Design thinking: What design thinking is and how product managers can break down what is needed for product understanding
– Persona development: How to effectively create personas and use them in product processes
– Lean testing: Unpacking types of lean tests and how to implement them for maximum learning
– Interview guides: Writing interview guides that do not bias or lead the subject
– Wireframes and prototypes: Using visuals at different fidelities to facilitate the right conversation
– User stories: Creating an effective communication mechanism for efficient and transparent delivery
– Core team communication: How to think about “culture as product” and foster a team that that is geared towards continuous improvement

Mind the Product Trainers

Every Mind the Product trainer is a working product manager who has worked with multiple products and domains. Your trainer’s product management experience enriches the curriculum by delivering diverse perspectives on best practice in different scenarios. You will hear about the products they have worked on in the past, what went well, what didn’t go so well, and how they tried to make improvements. Our trainers’ main goal is not to provide participants with all of the answers, but help facilitate them in asking the right questions.

About Your Trainer

Alex McCarthy, Product Manager

Alex McCarthy is dedicated to working with product leaders to improve their skills, accelerate their careers and deliver great solutions to challenging problems. Alex McCarthy combines his product management, software development, marketing and sales experience with his passion for education. During his career Alex built multiple successful product management, marketing and sales teams. His students gain insights and practical guidance from Alex’s successes and “lessons learned”.

Co-organizer for ProductTank – Austin and frequent presenter at ProductCamp, The Product League and other local meetups. Alex lives with his wife and two daughters on a small ranch outside Austin.

Adam Rose, Product Manager

Adam is co-founder and current Executive Director of Product Camp Dallas. He has taught product management to seasoned professionals and to middle school students.

He is currently a product manager at Modern Message, a Dallas area startup. He has previously worked at agencies and enterprise software companies. All told he’s been in the industry for about 15 years – the first 10 as a licensed professional engineer.

In his spare time (minimal with his wife and three kids) he enjoys building hardware and software projects that are not quite ready for prime time. If he could, he’d be on a bicycle right now.

Agenda

– Registration will begin at 8.45 (no access to the building before 8.45)
– Class will start at 9.00 sharp and end at 16.30

We’ll also provide a light breakfast, buffet lunch and plenty of tea and coffee to fuel you through the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the name or other details on my tickets?
Yes, but only the person who purchased the ticket can make these changes on Eventbrite. You are free to change your ticket details up to two days before the event, including name, title, etc. Please make sure these details are correct as they will be what we show on your badge! Just login to Eventbrite and make the changes, following these instructions. If you can’t reach the person who purchased the ticket in order to get them to change the information please contact us on tickets@mindtheproduct.com and we will help you make the updates.

Can I get a refund?
We offer a full refund up to one month before the event. Simply log in to Eventbrite and request the refund following these instructions. As with changes, only the person who purchased the tickets can request a refund.

Can I pay by invoice?
As we are a small team we only offer payment by invoice if you are buying 5 tickets or more due to the additional overhead. Early Bird conference tickets cannot be purchased by invoice. Please also note that no tickets are held/issued until payment of the invoice has been received. Request to pay by invoice by emailing tickets@mindtheproduct.com

– Tickets are not held until payment has been made – there are no exceptions to this.
– We cannot agree to any terms and conditions associated with Purchase Order numbers or other supplier agreements.
– We do not fill in supplier detail forms for ticket invoices – if you cannot find details you require on our website – please ask.