PACE NONCREDIT COURSE:
Software Product Management
Areas of Study
Course Type
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Overview
Hours: 48
Producing great software requires talent, teamwork and leadership. An effective product manager – the individual who orchestrates all stages of the development process, from product conception to market delivery – plays an essential part in the launch of any impactful technology. In this two-semester program, you’ll develop the foundational skills and knowledge to thrive in this pivotal business role.
You’ll learn how to establish the product vision, generate cross-functional collaboration and build stakeholder consensus. We’ll examine the latest tools, trends, and techniques in product management, and you’ll sharpen your ability to analyze and leverage data and market insights. Build the real-world skills and confidence to deliver products that find lasting success in the marketplace.
Key Concepts
- Product Discovery: Market research, competitive analysis, opportunity identification, and business modelling
- Product Validation: Ideation, concepting, and hypothesis validation with various user research methodologies
- Product Definition and Design: User persona development, minimal viable product, user flows and journey mapping, human-centered design, prototyping and A/B testing
- Product Development: Agile and Lean methodologies
- Product Measurement: Data-driven iterative cycles of build, measure, and learn
- Product Launch and Sustenance: Multipronged go-to-market strategies for new and existing markets; growth, engagement, and retention strategies for early stage, mid-stage, and mature products
Curriculum
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I earn a certificate for completing this course?
Certificates of completion will be given to all students who have satisfactorily completed course requirements. Multi-course programs require satisfactory completion of all courses before a certificate is given.
Is financial assistance available for this course?
An application for financial assistance (in the form of a 10% course-fee rebate) is available to all enrolled students. If you feel you are eligible for financial assistance, please complete this application after enrolling. These are highly competitive scholarships and eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. Students deemed eligible will receive a rebate equal to 10% of the course fee paid at the time of enrollment.
How can I get additional information about this course?
For additional information, please email pace@uno.edu or call our office at 504-280-4756.
What if I need to drop this course?
All PACE courses must be dropped no later than 3 business days before the first class session to be eligible for a full refund less a $50 administrative fee. Course materials are ineligible for refunds.
What is the job market like for software product managers right now?
The job market for product managers is heating up. With devices and data becoming a greater part of our everyday lives, it takes professionals that speak two languages, technology & business.
What is the value of earning a certificate in this field? How do employers view certificates these days?
Most product managers work in other roles before pursuing a product position. They may only have experience in marketing or software engineering, so having a product management certificate can help hiring managers see them as a better fit.
How do certificate programs like this one reflect the latest knowledge and skills in the field?
The benefit of certificate programs like this is that they are taught by working professionals. Instructors are currently working in the field and bring current, real world experience to the program. I only teach topics that have worked for me in my career.
What is the online learning experience like? Why is this format of value to students?
The online experience is designed for maximum flexibility for students. Modules are designed to be interactive and engaging.
What do you personally bring to the program (in terms of your background, knowledge and experience)?
I have over twenty years experience in digital products. But it started a lot earlier than that! At age 8, I was writing choose your own adventure games on one of the first home computers. I grew up with the tech revolution, seeing the inventions of the internet, iPhones, Facebook, and Google. I’ve launched tablet computing apps, interactive video ads, and I’m now a part of streaming tv for broadcasters. I’ve spent my whole career inventing things and love sharing my experiences with students.
Anything else prospective students should know about the value of this program? Other comments?
This program includes examples from business-to-business and direct-to-consumer solutions. You’ll hear about applications across mobile, desktop, browsers, connected devices and the internet of things. We’ll talk about large enterprises and startups. Students will examine dozens of topics through the lens of product management.
Moodle & Zoom
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Course Requirements
Hardware Requirements: Software Requirements:
Course Prerequisites
Instructor(s):
Gautam Rao
At Pursuit, he’s working on enabling skilled workers easily access global opportunities and has raised money from Sequoia Capital, Angellist Spearhead and early investors in companies such as Dropbox. Before this, he was co-founder and Head of Product at Finvoice, where he helped create a first of it’s kind software for the small business lending industry that brought down application times from weeks to minutes. Prior to Finvoice, he worked on a dietary needs mobile app for food discovery and as a software engineer at Barclays Capital. He holds a Masters in Engineering Management from Stanford University and a Bachelors in Computer Engineering from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
Roy FirestoneRoy Firestone has over 20 years of experience delivering innovative digital products for world-class advertising, media, technology, and publishing organizations. Roy is an expert in advanced video advertising, programmatic platforms, audience data, anti-fraud, and media analytics across all devices and channels. He is a named inventor on a patented virtual toy box video advertising unit for Nickelodeon/ Viacom. Roy has held product leadership roles at many prominent companies, including OpenX, Xaxis, ZEFR, Ad.net, MGID, Engage:BDR, USA Today, and Accenture.
Roy is a recognized thought leader with articles published in AdWeek & TheNextWeb. Roy is in demand as a guest speaker, having served in keynote, panelist, and moderator roles at conferences including AdvertisingWeek, AdMonsters, and Brand Innovators. Roy has obtained the Certified Agile Leader credential from Scrum Alliance.
Roy is also passionate about giving back to the community and serving others. He has served on the board of directors for Extraordinary Families, a leading nonprofit foster family, adoption and advocacy agency dedicated to improving the daily lives and long-term outcomes of children and youth in foster care.
Roy earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a focus on computer information systems, from James Madison University.
Shilpi JaiswalShilpi Jaiswal is a product leader, ex-entrepreneur, and e-Commerce expert with more than 16 years of executive-level product management experience. She specializes in product vision and strategy, opportunity identification, market analysis, consumer behavior insights, user engagement and retention, and product analytics.
Prior to working at Macy’s, Shilpi was co-founder and CEO at StyleCheck, leading the product vision and strategy to launch the very first predictive and crowd-styling platform. She oversaw various functions – Product, UX, Engineering, Analytics, and Marketing – to drive product growth and user base expansion.
Before that, she served as Product Manager at World Wide Technology, where she led cross-functional teams to bring various strategic B-2-B products to market.