AI Product Management Books
Jacob Duval
•
May 27, 2025
Intro
Product managers working with AI face unique challenges. They need to understand both traditional product management principles and the specific considerations of AI technology.
This collection brings together essential books that help product managers either use AI effectively or build AI features into their products. Some focus on core product management principles that apply to any product, while others address AI-specific challenges.
The books include classics like "Crossing the Chasm" and "The Lean Startup" that provide foundational knowledge, as well as specialized resources like "The AI Product Manager's Handbook" that focus specifically on AI product management. Together, they offer a comprehensive toolkit for creating successful AI products.
Escaping the Build Trap
Melissa Perri's book helps product managers focus on outcomes rather than outputs. Many companies fall into the "build trap" by creating features to meet schedules instead of solving real customer problems.
The book shows how good product management helps companies solve customer problems while meeting business goals. It explains how to create a product culture that benefits both the business and the customer through better communication and collaboration.
This book is helpful for AI product managers who need to avoid the trap of building AI features without clear customer value. It teaches how to focus on outcomes that matter.
Crossing the Chasm
Geoffrey Moore's classic book explains how to bring new technology products to mainstream markets. The book introduces the Technology Adoption Life Cycle - from innovators to early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.
Moore shows there's a gap ("the chasm") between early adopters and the early majority that many tech products fail to cross. The book offers strategies to bridge this gap and reach wider markets.
For AI product managers, this book is essential because AI products often face adoption challenges. The strategies in this book help bring AI innovations to mainstream users who may be more skeptical about new technology.
Strategize
Roman Pichler's "Strategize: Product Strategy and Product Roadmap Practices for the Digital Age" offers practical guidance for creating winning product strategies and actionable roadmaps.
The book provides proven techniques and tools to help product managers develop effective strategies that maximize chances of creating successful products. It's especially relevant in today's fast-changing digital landscape.
AI product managers will find this book valuable for planning AI features and products strategically. The roadmapping techniques help manage the uncertainty that often comes with AI development while keeping teams aligned on the path forward.
Evidence-Guided
Itamar Gilad's "Evidence-Guided" presents a practical approach to product development when facing uncertainty. The book introduces the GIST model (Goals, Ideas, Steps, and Tasks) to help teams make better decisions.
Gilad draws from his experience at Google and Microsoft to show how combining human judgment with data leads to better products. The book helps teams stay aligned and avoid wasted effort.
For AI product managers, this approach is valuable because AI projects often involve high uncertainty. The evidence-based framework helps teams make decisions with limited information while gathering the right data to move forward confidently.
Inspired
Marty Cagan's "Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love" provides a master class in how to structure product teams and deliver technology products that customers love.
The book shares how successful tech companies approach product management differently from most other companies. It covers discovery techniques, team collaboration, and finding solutions that work for both customers and the business.
For AI product managers, this book offers valuable insights on product discovery that apply to AI features. It helps teams move beyond just implementing AI technology to creating AI products that truly solve customer problems.
Aligned
"Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders" by Melissa Appel and Bruce McCarthy focuses on one of the most challenging aspects of product management - working effectively with stakeholders.
The book provides practical strategies for building strong relationships with stakeholders and keeping teams aligned on product goals. It draws from the authors' extensive experience in product management.
AI product managers will find this particularly useful as AI projects often involve many stakeholders with different expectations. The book's guidance helps navigate the complex human aspects of delivering AI products successfully.
The AI Product Manager's Handbook
Irene Bratsis' "The AI Product Manager's Handbook" is a specialized guide for product managers working specifically with AI products.
The book introduces fundamental machine learning concepts tailored for product managers. It provides practical strategies and real-world examples for leading successful AI product initiatives.
This handbook is particularly valuable for product leaders who need to manage AI integration in their products. It helps bridge the gap between technical AI concepts and product management practices, making it easier to develop AI solutions that deliver real value.
In Summary
These books cover the essential knowledge areas for AI product managers. From core product management principles in books like "Escaping the Build Trap" and "Inspired" to AI-specific strategies in "The AI Product Manager's Handbook," they provide a well-rounded education for anyone building AI products.
The most successful AI product managers combine strong fundamentals with specialized AI knowledge. They focus on customer problems first, use evidence to guide decisions, and build products that cross the chasm from early adopters to mainstream users.
By learning from these resources, you'll be better equipped to create AI products that avoid common pitfalls and deliver genuine value to users and your business.