Product Management Foundations

Undergraduate

Product managers are responsible for defining what problems are worth solving, designing solutions that meet real user needs, and guiding teams through execution, launch, and iteration. They work at the intersection of customer insight, technical feasibility, business constraints, and organizational coordination and shape everything from the success of startups to the strategy of global companies. Understanding product management equips students with a way of thinking that is broadly applicable across business, engineering, design, and leadership roles. This seminar provides a foundation in product management as a craft. Students learn how to move from problem definition to solution design, from launch planning to roadmap construction, and from early signals to long-term decisions. The course emphasizes judgment, tradeoffs, and clear thinking rather than rigid frameworks. Throughout the course, students examine how changes in technology, including the increasing use of automation and intelligent systems, affect how products are built, how quickly plans evolve, and how teams operate. These shifts are treated as part of the modern product environment rather than as a standalone topic. Students work through a full product lifecycle in teams, culminating in a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and Product Review that mirrors how product decisions are evaluated in professional settings. Learning how to identify meaningful problems, evaluate tradeoffs, and align stakeholders around a coherent plan is a foundational skill for anyone interested in building, scaling, or influencing complex systems in technology-driven organizations. F 11:30am-1:25pm