To do that, I\u2019ve asked some of the biggest names in Product Management a simple question: Here are all the responses, with answers collected from headline speakers at Product Management conferences<\/a>, Agile experts, and celebrated authors in their own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need the definitive list of the best Product Management books in 2025, there\u2019s no better list than this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But before we dive into what they think, let\u2019s explore what you guys said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I was curious to find out what the general consensus was these days regarding what were the best Product Management books. So, I asked my LinkedIn community<\/a> what product-specific book they\u2019d take with them to a desert island and totted up the answers. The responses were fascinating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a visual of the top books that were mentioned the most:<\/p>\n\n\n So, on the podium is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd49Strategize<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>Roman Pitchler These are great choices from the Product Management public and are echoed by a couple of the Product experts I asked: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe book I always go back to is Escaping the Build Trap<\/em><\/strong> by Melissa Perri, truly! Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book is a game-changer for Product Teams. It deftly exposes how organizations get stuck building features without delivering value. When I read the book in 2016, it was one of the first times I was exposed to formal Product Management frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A really helpful concept in the book is the strategy layers, which help teams understand how each level of the product team contributes to the strategy, at what level, and when. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s essential reading for anyone wanting to create products that actually matter to customers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n – <\/strong>Denise Tilles<\/strong><\/a>, Co-author of Product Operations<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Denise is a well-celebrated Product Management leader<\/a>, being the leading voice in Product Operations<\/a> while helping enterprise and scale-up companies evolve their product operations strategy through coaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her co-authored book, Product Operations<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, <\/em>written alongside the aforementioned Melissa Perri, is a fantastic choice to add to your resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not much of a reader, Dennise and Mellisa are recording an updated audiobook version, which will include AI case studies – a vital addition to reflect the Product Management landscape in 2025. Webinar | How to Set Up Product Operations with Denise Tilles<\/p>\n <\/div>\n One of our experts also gave some love to the public\u2019s runner-up, Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore, mainly because of how impactful it can be for your Product Management career: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to choose a favorite, but Crossing the Chasm<\/em><\/strong> by Geoffrey Moore is one that had a big impact in my career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This classic book describes how to navigate each stage of the adoption lifecycle. This knowledge is critical for PMs since the techniques you\u2019ll use to prioritize, develop, and go-to-market vary widely whether you are launching a brand new product, growing an existing one, or maintaining an already established one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crossing the Chasm is invaluable as a PM working in the weeds and as a Product Leader working to set the strategy and direction of your portfolio. I found it so valuable that I leveraged several of its concepts in my own book, The B2B Innovator\u2019s Map.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n – <\/strong>Daniel Elizalde<\/strong><\/a>, author of The B2B Innovator\u2019s Map<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Daniel Elizalde is a seasoned Product Executive with over two decades of experience shaping innovation across industries like e-commerce, automotive, and climate tech. As the former VP and Head of IoT at Ericsson, he\u2019s trained thousands of product professionals through his courses, workshops, and Stanford classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His book, The B2B Innovator\u2019s Map<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is a must-read for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of enterprise Product Management<\/a>. Whether you\u2019re launching a new idea or scaling a product, Daniel\u2019s insights will help you bridge the gap between emerging technology and real-world impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We spoke with Daniel a few years back about using the B2B Innovation Journey to drive success. Check it out \ud83d\udc47: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Webinar | How to Achieve Success using B2B Innovation Journey with Daniel Elizalde<\/p>\n <\/div>\n I didn’t want this list to be entirely my opinion, but I still wanted to give it and include it among this list from product experts. So here\u2019s my take: <\/p>\n\n\n I\u2019m only partly joking, but the childhood story <\/span>If You Give a Mouse a Cookie <\/i><\/b>is a book that taught me valuable lessons about getting stuck in the Agency trap or building edge case features that forget the need for more edge case functionality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For a more serious suggestion, another favorite of mine that often gets overlooked is <\/span>The Art of Profitability<\/i><\/b><\/a> by <\/span><\/i>Adrian Slywotzky.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s told like a story and series of conversations between two people and really cements lessons around how to think about business or revenue models. This is increasingly important as PMs are asked to be accountable for business outcomes and impact and to get more involved with the commercialization of the business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Leaving you with that appetizer, let\u2019s have a look at what our list of Product Experts and authors had to say about their favorite Product Management books: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bruce McCarthy is the product roadmap<\/a> guru – he literally wrote the book on it: Product Roadmaps Relaunched<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. As the Founder of Product Culture, he\u2019s helped teams at EGYM, Vistaprint, and Huawei embrace outcome-driven roadmaps over timeline ones. A longtime advocate for strategic, flexible planning, Bruce is the perfect guide to rethinking your roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to hear him break it all down? We\u2019ve got just the webinar for you: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Webinar | OKRs vs Roadmaps Deathmatch with Bruce McCarthy<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \u201cI have a lot of favorite product books, so it\u2019s hard to choose. If you force me to pick one, it would have to be Start with Why<\/em><\/strong> by Simon Sinek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start with Why by Simon Sinek has always been my must-read for product people. We\u2019re great at requirements, priorities, and plans – but as Sinek points out, Martin Luther King didn\u2019t say, \u201cI have a plan.\u201d He inspired change by articulating his dream. We ask \u201cwhy\u201d not just to solve the right problems but to communicate purpose – back to customers and across the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If stakeholders don\u2019t grasp the why, execution suffers, and the product feels disjointed. A strong shared why aligns teams and drives success. This book explains how (and why) starting with purpose is the key to building great products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – <\/strong>Bruce McCarthy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Adam Thomas is a product leader and strategist who helps teams escape survival mode and build sustainable, strategy-driven solutions. With experience at Google, BP, and SmartRecruiters, he\u2019s seen firsthand the tensions between customer needs, Product Teams, and business goals. Through data-driven storytelling and a focus on workplace culture, Adam equips teams to break free from reactive cycles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy favorite Product Management book is Product Management in Practice<\/em><\/strong> by Matt LeMay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love it because it feels like a conversation with a mentor – clear, direct, and energizing. LeMay doesn\u2019t waste time on theory for theory\u2019s sake; instead, he breaks down the messy, connective work of PMs with honesty and humor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s always something actionable inside, whether you\u2019re leading a team or stuck translating strategy into action.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n – <\/strong>Adam Thomas<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Itamar Gilad is a Product Management expert with 20+ years at Google, YouTube, and Microsoft – he even led Gmail\u2019s growth to a billion users. He\u2019s the creator of the GIST Framework<\/a> and Confidence Meter, helping teams replace gut feelings with data-driven Product Management<\/a> decisions. Now a coach, author, and speaker, Itamar teaches teams how to build products with real impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wanna hear more about GIST? We\u2019ve got an on-demand chat that\u2019s just a click away:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Webinar | Product Roadmaps vs GIST framework with Itamar Gilad<\/p>\n <\/div>\n “If I had to pick just one book, it would be The Lean Startup<\/em> <\/strong>by Eric Ries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 13 years later, it\u2019s still a fundamental text for any product person as it explains the principles and methods of modern product development in a very accessible way.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Itamar Gilard<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Melissa Appel is the coach every Product Leader needs, with 20 years of experience at companies like Wayfair and Divert. As the author of Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, she\u2019s an expert in stakeholder management<\/a> – helping teams get buy-in without the chaos. Now an executive coach, Melissa helps product leaders refine their processes, build strong teams, and turn alignment into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have severe recency bias when it comes to business books. They\u2019re all so interesting! The one I read recently, which I LOVE, is Obviously Awesome<\/em><\/strong> by the amazing April Dunford. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For Product Managers who want to have a more holistic understanding of what makes products successful, April\u2019s book shows you how to describe what your product does in a way that enables customers to understand how it solves their problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From a stakeholder management perspective, these are the same techniques you can use to position your idea or initiative in a way that resonates with your stakeholders. There are so many possible applications for the frameworks and techniques in this book.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Melissa Appel<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Dave Martin is a seasoned product leader and executive coach, helping B2B tech founders and teams scale with strong leadership and efficient product processes. As founder of RightToLeft <\/a>and former CPO, he\u2019s led products from zero to millions in ARR and guided multiple SaaS exits. Co-author of The Product Momentum Gap<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Dave specializes in aligning teams, driving growth, and making product leadership less stressful.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cMy favourite book for product professionals is Black Box Thinking<\/em><\/strong> by Matthew Syed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Black Box Thinking<\/em>, we see a suite of practical examples where evidence-driven improvements make enormous impacts to save lives and keep people safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The real lesson is how dogmatic individuals can be when they are emotionally attached to their opinions. The examples are extreme, ranging from surgeons to law enforcement. One of products biggest blockers is changing opinions. The lessons from this book are priceless in helping you do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Dave Martin<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Petra Wille is a product leadership coach, speaker, and author dedicated to turning good product managers into great ones. Her book, Strong Product People<\/em><\/a>, is a go-to guide for developing top-tier PMs. A mentor and speaker, Petra helps teams build outcome-driven products<\/a> and create real impact.<\/p>\n\n\n “I couldn\u2019t decide, so I had to pick two! Instead, Matt argues that Product Teams must focus on impact: connecting day-to-day product decisions to the broader business goals that keep them afloat. By weaving real-world examples, conversation starters, and \u201creality-tested\u201d guidance, Matt shows how to put impact at the heart of product work, no matter your industry or funding model. I truly believe this is a must-read for any Product Leader trying to stay grounded in outcomes that truly matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My other choice is Connected: Building Exceptional Relationships<\/em><\/strong> by David L. Bradford & Carole Robin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Great product work doesn\u2019t happen in isolation. Whether you\u2019re aligning stakeholders, coaching a team, or navigating conflict, relationship-building is a critical product skill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Connected offers practical tools for building trust-based relationships, with a powerful reminder: \u201cI care enough (about you, about our relationship) to say the worst.\u201d A fantastic read for product folks who want to lead with clarity and empathy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n – <\/strong>Petra Wille<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Phil Hornby is a seasoned product leader. His career spans various roles – including Product Management, Project Management, Operations, Development, Sales, and Marketing – he\u2019s done it all. Phil’s mission is to help product leaders think clearly, make strong decisions, and take powerful action that drives high-impact outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phil is the founder of For Product People, where he offers coaching, workshops, and content aimed at empowering product professionals. He\u2019s recently launched a program focused on The Business side of Product Management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Learn more about The Business here<\/p>\n <\/div>\n Excitingly, Phil is set to release his book, Empowered Product Teams<\/em><\/strong>,<\/a> in October 2025. This no-nonsense guide aims to help product leaders design, structure, and evolve teams that deliver real impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s your favourite Product Management book? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYour favorite Product Management books<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Podium](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Podium-Books-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd48Crossing the Chasm<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>– Geoffrey A. Moore
\ud83e\udd47 Escaping the Build Trap<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>– Melissa Perri <\/p>\n\n\n\nDenise Tilles<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Denise](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Denise-Tilles-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
We spoke with Denisse recently about setting up Product Operations. Check it out: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Daniel Elizalde<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Daniel-E-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMy favorite Product Management book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The 14 best Product Management books – chosen by Product Management experts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Bruce McCarthy <\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Bruce](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Bruce-McCarthy.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Bruce](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Bruce-McCarthy-Books.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBruce McCarthy\u2019s favorite Product Management Book: Start with Why<\/em><\/a> by Simon Sinek<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Adam Thomas<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Adam](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Adam-Thomas.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAdam Thomas\u2019s favorite Product Management Book: Product Management in Practice<\/em><\/a> by <\/em>Matt LeMay<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. Itamar Gilad<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Itamar](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Itamar-Gilad.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Itamar](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Itamar-Gilad-Books.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nItamar Gilad\u2019s favorite Product Management book: The Lean Startup<\/em><\/a> by <\/em>Eric Ries<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. Melissa Appel<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Melissa](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Melissa-Appel-Headshot.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Melissa](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Mellisa-Appel-Books.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMelissa Appel\u2019s favorite Product Management book: Obviously Awesome<\/em><\/a> <\/em>by April Dunford<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5. Dave Martin<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Dave](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Dave-Martin-Headshot.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Dave](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Dave-Martin-Books.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDave Martin\u2019s favorite Product Management book: Black Box Thinking<\/em><\/a> <\/em>by Mathew Syed<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
6. Petra Willie<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Petra](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Petra-Wiile.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Best](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Patra-Wille-Books.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nPetra Wille\u2019s favorite Product Management books: Impact-First Product Teams<\/em><\/a> <\/em>by Matt LeMay & Connected: Building Expectional Relationships<\/em><\/a> <\/em>by David L. Bradford<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Impact-First Product Teams<\/em><\/strong> by Matt LeMay is one I had to include. Fresh off the press, this slim yet powerful book zeroes in on the hard truth that \u201cdoing things right\u201d doesn\u2019t matter if your company can\u2019t survive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n7. Phil Hornby<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Phil-Hornby.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nPhil Hornby\u2019s favorite Product Management book: