Courses

Building a successful business involves not only developing products that appeal to the market, but also making tough decisions on how to focus an organization’s scarce resources to achieve the greatest impact. Product managers act as virtual general managers, determining what gets built when and ensuring that the needs of all stakeholders are balanced. Being a product manager requires embracing scientific analysis and cultivating softer people skills in order to build compelling products.

This is an introductory course designed to help those looking to transition into a product management role, as well as entrepreneurs looking to build great products. While entrepreneurs may not officially have a product management title, they need to be mindful of prioritizing the right features, iterating based on market feedback, and clearly conveying their product benefits as quickly as possible to ensure success. We will begin the course by learning how to understand and balance the needs of various stakeholders so we can develop a product vision and roadmap. Next, we will discuss how to define a minimum viable product for an upcoming release. We will examine the use of Agile tools and techniques to build products and discuss how functional and user testing can improve the quality of releases. Finally, we will discuss how to launch and market the product. In addition to lectures and guest speakers, this course will offer an interactive, hands-on experience, with a number of opportunities to present your work and receive feedback from the class.

This course may not be taken for a Letter Grade.



WHAT MAKES OUR ONLINE COURSES UNIQUE:

• Course sizes are limited.
  You won't have 5,000 classmates. This course's enrollment is capped at 50 participants.
  
  
• Frequent interaction with the instructor.
  You aren't expected to work through the material alone. Instructors will answer questions and interact with students on the discussion board and through weekly video meetings.
  
  
• Study with a vibrant peer group.
  Stanford Continuing Studies courses attract thoughtful and engaged students who take courses for the love of learning. Students in each course will exchange ideas with one another through easy-to-use message boards as well as optional weekly real-time video conferences.
  
  
• Direct feedback from the instructor.
  Instructors will review and offer feedback on assignment submissions. Students are not required to turn in assignments, but for those who do, their work is graded by the instructor.
  
  
• Courses offer the flexibility to participate on your own schedule.
  Course work is completed on a weekly basis when you have the time. You can log in and participate in the class whenever it's convenient for you. If you can’t attend the weekly video meetings, the sessions are always recorded for you and your instructor is just an email away.
  
  
• Opportunity to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
  Students who take the course for Credit or a Letter Grade will earn CEUs. CEUs allow the student to receive an official transcript and a grade report as proof of completion.
  
  
• This course is offered through Stanford Continuing Studies.
  To learn more about the program, visit our About Us page. For more information on the online format, please visit the FAQ page.