Introducing My New Book, STRONG Product Communities!

 
 

I’m thrilled to announce that my new book, STRONG Product Communities is now out! If you’d like to just go ahead and grab your copy, you can do so here. But if you’d like to learn a bit more about the story behind the book and what to expect from it, you’ll find that information below. 

Why did I write STRONG Product Communities?

To be completely honest, the idea for STRONG Product Communities did not start as a book. It all began with a question and research topic that I defined as my focus for 2022: What separates successful companies from the not-so-successful ones when it comes to their approach to product? In my quest to answer this question, I realized that most of the successful product organizations have dedicated time and resources to product Communities of Practice (which I also refer to as “CoP”). They create opportunities for their product people to learn from and with each other and to share knowledge and resources. 

Once I narrowed in on the topic of Communities of Practice, I started to read and learn more about CoP, pay more attention to existing product communities, conduct interviews, and publish a series of blog posts, sharing best practices as well as stories from CoP participants and organizers. 

At this point, I had a few clients reach out to me to ask for help with their CoP. Based on what I’d learned so far and what my clients needed, I created my Community Canvas to help guide this process. And I could see its impact immediately. I also realized that peer learning was a topic that didn’t get much attention in my previous book, STRONG Product People.

As more clients asked me for resources and support, I saw the value in combining all of my content into a single source. I had already published the majority of the content in individual blog posts. But I thought that—much like many readers treat STRONG Product People as a sort of guidebook where they jump in at different points and revisit sections whenever they’re most relevant—there would be a benefit in creating a single resource that was easy for people to mark up and reference. 

To be clear, please know that STRONG Product Communities is not the same length as my previous book, STRONG Product People. We like to think of STRONG Product Communities as STRONG Product People’s little sister. You’ll find best practices, interviews with CoP practitioners, and all the results from the CoP survey I ran—all in a very cute and compact format!

 


How is the book organized?

There are six chapters in STRONG Product Communities to help you get familiar with the basics and then dive into more details about what makes a successful product CoP. 

Chapter 1: Communities of Practice: The Essentials

Chapter 2: Getting Started: What Do You Need to Know?

Chapter 3: Community Guidelines

Chapter 4: Regular Rituals

Chapter 5: Learning from Other Product People

Chapter 6: Digging Into the Data: My Research on CoPs

What will you learn from STRONG Product Communities?

By the time you finish reading this book, you will understand:

  • The broad range of benefits you can expect from a product CoP (this will also help you “sell” the idea of a CoP within your organization or to your line manager)

  • How to define your community’s purpose and guidelines

  • Which regular rituals to consider for your CoP

  • How organizers from several well-known companies approach their CoPs

  • What CoP participants have to say about their experiences

And you will be able to:

  • Build or enhance an existing CoP

  • Empower knowledge sharing and network-building in your product organization

  • Identify (and avoid) common pitfalls

What are others saying about the book?

A number of thought leaders took a moment to share their thoughts about STRONG Product Communities. Here’s what they had to say. 

“Petra’s books are not just academic masterpieces, but practical guides to putting theory into practice. I can’t wait for the next chapter in the Strong series.” – Tobias Freudenreich, Product Coach & Consultant

“As part of assessing product organizations or giving general advice on how to train product managers, I always advocate for a Community of Practice. The next question, of course, is ‘How do I do that?’ Before, there was not a simple guide on how to do this. With Strong ProductCommunities, Petra has now finally made that guide and I can’t wait to hand it out.” – Melissa Perri, Author, Founder & Product Management Expert

"The impact of running an active community of practice in product work is profound. It cultivates a shared learning and growth culture, leading to better product outcomes and organizational success. I strongly believe that more organizations should start their own CoPs, and this book serves as an essential guide on this journey." - Christina Wodtke, Author, Speaker and Core Lecturer at Stanford University

“Active Communities of Practice in product are game-changers in every organisation. They significantly improve product outcomes by catalysing innovation, collaboration, and shared learning within organisations. More companies should tap into the power of CoPs, and this book provides the roadmap to do just that.” - Martin Eriksson, Product Partner at EQT, Creator of the Decision Stack, Co-Author of Product Leadership, and (former) Co-Founder of Mind the Product

Who are we (the authors)?

If we haven’t met before, hello, I’m Petra! I’m an independent product leadership coach. I love to help my customers build great products and high-performing product teams by focusing on the personal growth of each individual product manager. Alongside my freelance coaching work, I co-organize and curate Product at Heart. Fun fact: I’m always waiting for windy days because I’m a huge kite-surfing and wingfoiling enthusiast. I’m also happy to introduce the book’s co-author, Melissa Suzuno, a writer and editor who helps several product coaches clarify and share their ideas in writing. 

Want to stay up to date on what’s happening with the book?

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Communities of PracticePetra WilleCommunities of Product Practice, Community, Book Club