This is the first product-management hands-on book I read, and for somebody starting from zero, I think it does a good job at setting the reader on the right path towards answering the question “How do you build a product that delights users?”. For me it’s a reference book - I started experimenting some techniques described in the first chapters with my team before finishing the book, and I keep going back to it as I get more experience on USM. Probably not a great book for a casual reading about product management, also because it tends to be repetitive.

Things I liked:

• The book is all about keeping focus on the users.
• If you’re stuck in software requirements gathering like me, the book is a breath of fresh air.
• You can get started experimenting with USM super fast.
• It’s full of tiny practical advices, checklists, stuff you can incorporate into your own process right ahead.

Things I didn’t like:

• The first part is great to get you started, but illustrations are terrible and it’s a pity because they would help you a lot grasping the USM concept.
• After you start experimenting the techniques in real life, you wish you had more details.
• Some concepts and metaphors are repeated over and over: the boulder, the cake, the asteroid… They are all great but it feels confusing at some point, probably the book would be still great with half the pages.