One of the first things I tell my clients is to join at least one Product Management online community to boost their careers. There are so many different groups available online, and they typically have communities created on Slack and Facebook. The benefits of joining an online community of product managers are that you can connect, chat and learn from thousands of product people all over the world. Job listings are actively posted on all of the communities I belong to, making this a great resource for those of you looking to break into a PM role or switch roles.
If you were to join these four PM groups, as I have, you could connect with 50,000 product people! If you put us all together, we’d almost fill up Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. That’s a lot of product people!
My absolute favorite Slack community is Friends of Lenny’s Newsletter. This group requires a paid subscription to Lenny’s Newsletter, but I have found it to be worth it. Within this community, you’ll find:
- Intimate conversations about product, growth, career, and startup building
- A free mentor/mentee matching program, book clubs, mastermind groups, AMAs, and workshops
Product Manager HQ claims to be the world’s largest Slack product community. Whether you’re an aspiring PM, mid-level veteran, seasoned product executive, or a founder, Product HQ will help you level-up, skip the guesswork, and get second opinions from smart people.
Mind the Product is one of my absolute favorite resources. The free MTP Slack community has over 60,000 members worldwide. Mind the Product also offers conferences around the world that bring the product management community together in person and virtually.
Women in Product is a group I belong to on Slack as well as Facebook. Women In Product is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing women with equal access and representation in product management careers at all levels. I find the Facebook group to be more engaging.
Whether you’re looking for a job or you’re a seasoned professional wanting to connect with like-minded individuals to exchange ideas or get advice, all of these product management communities have something to offer.
Do you know of any other online PM communities? If so, please DM me about them. I’m always looking for ways to expand my network!