This class is meant to equip students who are considering careers in Product Management (in some ways a “part two” of Professor Paul Canetti’s “Introduction to Product Management” class) with an understanding of what it’s actually like to be a PM and how to best position yourself to get a job as one after leaving CBS.

Since PM is often referred to as being “the CEO of a product,” it’s not surprising that students are interested in this as a potential post-CBS career path. The reality of being a PM is in many cases different than the image- not controlling a lot of resources, leading through influence not authority, stakeholder management, etc. Of course, it’s also a pretty great job for the right student with the right mindset and expectations going in.

But it’s important that students get a strong understanding and experiential exposure to this function and its role in the organization. Even if they decide against moving into PM as a career, many of the concepts and approaches covered in this class will help them in whatever path they choose. Indeed, even companies as large as Walmart are training hundreds of their Bentonville employees from various functions on “product management mindset.”

By taking this class, students will come away with a strong understanding of what a career in product management will entail. The course will develop a life-long learning mindset for students interested in careers in PM.

Eric Hellweg

Adjunct Assistant Professor

View full profile