Data Analytics Roadmap for Product Managers
Data is & always will be extremely important to a Product Manager. Want to teach yourself Data Analytics & Visualization? Refer to this guide to learn data from scratch and at a minimum investment.
Hello, and welcome back to my corner of the internet!
It's Adi here, your fellow explorer on this never-ending journey through the realms of Product Management. Today, I'm thrilled to share a topic that's close to my heart and instrumental in my evolution as a Product Manager — the indispensable art and science of data analytics.
Coming from a non-technical background, my interest in Product Management and the desire to improve specific skills drew me towards the world of data. This curiosity ignited a journey from beginner to proficient, guiding me through various resources that helped me self-learn data analytics. I'm here to share my experience, not as an expert, but as someone who was once in your shoes — feeling daunted by the sheer volume of learning materials without a clear path to follow.
The Imperative of Data Analytics for Product Managers
In the dynamic world of Product Management, understanding and interpreting data is not just an asset; it's a necessity. Data analytics empowers us to make informed decisions, identify trends, understand customer behaviours, and measure success. While data can be qualitative & quantitative, for a PM — both types of data are of utmost importance. While the former tells us about the attitude or intention of a user, the latter tells us the actual behaviours of the users. Example:
How many times have you heard someone say they’ll quit smoking? - Intention
Have they actually quit smoking? - Behaviour
Well, although for a PM it is extremely important to learn and understand both types of data, this article will majorly cover a roadmap that entails quantitative data. Because, it's the compass that guides our products from conception through to launch and beyond, ensuring that we're not just moving, but moving in the right direction.
My Journey into the World of Data Analytics
Transitioning from a non-technical background, the road to mastering data analytics was both challenging and exhilarating. I started with the basics, immersing myself in understanding data analytics and visualization concepts. It was a world far removed from my comfort zone, yet I was determined to bridge the gap. However, the foundation was created using crunching numbers on Excel.
Excel (/Google Sheet) gives you the most amount of freedom when it comes to learning data, and when you work using Excel, almost everything is possible. A few of the biggest logistics & supply chain companies in India use Excel to crunch numbers and make sense of data. In all fairness, you can do every single bit of data analytics that you can think of using almost any tool using Excel with a bunch of formulas. However, some tools make your life easier, hence, we do progress from Excel to other advanced skills to become better at data analytics.
Roadmap: Data Analytics for a Product Manager
Inspired by my own journey, I'm excited to share a curated list of resources designed to guide you through learning data analytics from scratch. Whether you're a Product Manager looking to deepen your data skills or someone from a non-technical background aiming to pivot into this vibrant field, these resources are crafted to set you on your path with minimum investment.
Note: This list does not contain and affiliate or promoted links. Only good resources!
Excel & Google Sheets
Google Sheet Free Course by Bullseyemoney - Click Here
Leila Gharani’s Youtube - Click Here
Simplilearn’s Free YT Excel Data Analytics Course - Click Here
Advanced Excel (beyond PMs requirements) - Click Here
SQL
w3schools SQL Tutorial - Click Here
SQLZoo - Click Here
DataLemur - Click Here
SQL Bolt - Click Here
Mode SQL Tutorial - Click Here
HackerRank SQL - Click Here
FreeCodeCamp’s SQL Tutorial - Click Here
Programming with Mosh’s MySQL Tutorial - Click Here
Data Analytics & Visualization
Simplilearn’s Free YT PowerBI Course - Click Here
Edureka’s Free YT Tableau Course - Click Here
Alex the Analysts YT Playlist for Projects - Click Here
Khan Academy’s Statistics & Probability - Click Here
A Few Items That Are Still In My Learning List -
Python Full YT Course by Analytics Vidhya - Click Here
Project Based Courses by Forage:
PwC - Switzerland Power BI Virtual Case - Click Here
Lululemon - Planning - Click Here
Lululemon - Merchandising - Click Here
KPMG - Data Analytics - Click Here
PwC - Digital Intelligence - Click Here
TATA - Data Visualisation - Click Here
Quantium - Data Analytics - Click Here
BCG - Data Science - Click Here
British Airways - Data Science - Click Here
Google Analytics Academy - Google Analytics 4 - Click Here
Google Analytics Academy - Introduction to Data Studio - Click Here
SAS - Visual Business Analytics Specialist - Click Here
Tableau Certified Data Analyst - Click Here
Salesforce Business Analyst - Click Here
As you may notice, my background lacks a strong technical foundation, particularly in Python-related data analytics. Instead, I've dedicated significant time to familiarizing myself with a plethora of product analytics tools, which I've seamlessly integrated into my workflow. This strategic shift has significantly reduced my dependency on coding for in-depth data analysis.
A Personal Note
Learning data analytics has been a game-changer for me, enhancing my ability to make data-driven decisions and elevate the products I manage. It's a journey of continuous learning, and every step forward is a step towards becoming a more effective Product Manager.
Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And in the realm of data analytics, each step is a leap towards empowering yourself to build better, more successful products.
I'm here to share my journey, learnings, and the resources that have shaped my path. I encourage you to take that first step, dive into the world of data analytics, and see how it transforms your approach to Product Management.
Here's to our journey of learning and growth.
Warmly,
Adi the PM