How to Become a Product Strategist [+Tools and Resources]

Embarking on a career as a product strategist involves a combination of education, skills development, and practical experience.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to transition into this role, understanding the key steps and requirements is essential.

This guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the path to becoming a successful product strategist.

Let’s dive in!

TL;DR

A product strategist is responsible for working with a team of product managers to develop a comprehensive product strategy, product vision, and long-term roadmap that aligns with the company’s business objectives and market opportunities.
Product strategist career path:
1. Associate Product Strategist
2. Product Strategist
3. Senior Product Strategist
4. Director of Product Strategy
5. VP of Product Strategy
6. Chief Product Strategist
Here are the main steps for becoming a product strategist:
- Get a degree: At a minimum, you’ll need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, computer science, or a related field. An MBA could be preferred for senior-level positions, although it is not always required.
- Certification: Enhance your education with a specialized certification such as the Product Strategy certification offered by the Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM).
- Gain essential skills: You need to work on your soft and hard skills to make a great product strategist. These skills include data analytics, marketing, technical knowledge in CRM systems, agile methodologies, and so on.
- Develop a portfolio: Get involved with hands-on projects and enroll in internships to get real-life experience of what the job entails.
As a product strategist, you’ll need tools that specifically support your responsibilities in developing and executing product strategies. Here’s a focused list of tools from the provided options that align with your core duties:
1. Best tool for product management – Confluence: This collaboration and documentation platform enables product strategists to create and share product strategy documents and business case analyses with stakeholders.
2. Best tool for data analytics – Google Charts: Google Charts is a versatile data visualization library. By leveraging this tool, you can effectively communicate product performance metrics, user behavior insights, and market trends to stakeholders, facilitating data-driven decision-making.
3. Best tool for UX/UI Design – Sketch: Sketch is a vector-based design tool that empowers product strategists to create and iterate on product concepts and wireframes.
4. Best tools for customer experience management – Zoho Desk: Zoho Desk is a customer service platform that enables product strategists to monitor and analyze customer feedback, sentiment, and support trends. By leveraging this tool, you can gain valuable insights into customer needs and pain points, informing your product strategy and prioritization decisions.
5. Best tool for task management – Asana: This tool helps you stay organized, track the progress of your team, and monitor deadlines.
Looking into tools for product strategists? Userpilot is an all-in-one product platform with engagement features and powerful analytics capabilities. Book a demo to see it in action!

What is a product strategist?

A product strategist is responsible for working with a team of product managers to develop a comprehensive product strategy, product vision, and long-term roadmap that aligns with the company’s business objectives and market opportunities. Product strategists play a critical role in setting the company up for long-term success in the highly competitive SaaS market by driving innovation and differentiation.

Product strategist’s main responsibilities

A Product Strategist is responsible for the high-level planning of a product’s vision and strategies. Let’s take a closer look at their main responsibilities and duties.

Conduct market research: A product strategist dives deep into market trends, competitor analysis, and user behavior to identify untapped opportunities.
Define product strategy: Product strategists translate insights into a comprehensive product strategy that outlines key objectives, target segments, value propositions, and growth plans.
Communicate product vision: Articulate the product strategy and vision to internal and external stakeholders, building alignment, enthusiasm, and support for SaaS initiatives.
Identify partnership opportunities: A product strategist’s responsibility involves researching potential partnerships to extend product reach or capabilities.
Prioritize features and roadmap: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prioritize product features, balancing user needs, technical feasibility, and business impact to create a robust roadmap for SaaS development.
Promote cross-team collaboration: Product strategists work with cross-functional teams, like product managers, engineers, marketers, and sales teams, to execute the product strategy.
Analyze product performance: Monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the success of SaaS products, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven recommendations for optimization.

Product strategist career path

Associate Product Strategist: Collaborate with senior strategists to analyze market trends, gather customer insights, and develop product roadmaps. To progress, you demonstrate strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations.
Product Strategist: You will conduct in-depth market and competitive analyses, identify growth opportunities, and shape product strategy. You advance by consistently delivering data-driven strategies that drive product success and align with company objectives.
Senior Product Strategist: You lead a team of strategists, mentor junior members, and orchestrate the development of comprehensive product strategies. You progress by showcasing exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and the ability to navigate complex challenges.
Director of Product Strategy: You oversee the product strategy function, align strategies across multiple product lines, and ensure alignment with overall business goals. You advance by driving significant improvements in strategy execution, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and delivering measurable business impact.
VP of Product Strategy: A VP of product strategy provides high-level executive guidance on product strategy, represents the strategic vision to stakeholders, and influences company-wide strategic decisions. You progress by demonstrating a deep understanding of market dynamics, anticipating industry trends, and driving innovation that fuels business growth.
Chief Product Strategist: As a chief product strategist, you will serve as the highest-ranking executive responsible for shaping the company’s overall product strategy and ensuring alignment across all divisions. You advance by consistently delivering visionary strategies that drive long-term success and position the company as a market leader.

How to become a product strategist?

Here are the main steps for becoming a product strategist:

Get a degree: At a minimum, you’ll need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, computer science, or a related field. An MBA could be preferred for senior-level positions, although it is not always required.
Certification: Enhance your education with a specialized certification such as the Product Strategy certification offered by the Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM).
Gain essential skills: You need to work on your soft and hard skills to make a great product strategist. These skills include data analytics, marketing, technical knowledge in CRM systems, agile methodologies, and so on.
Develop a portfolio: Get involved with hands-on projects and enroll in internships to get real-life experience of what the job entails.

What skills should a product strategist have?

Crafting a winning product strategy demands a unique blend of skills that enable you to navigate complex challenges, uncover hidden opportunities, and drive innovation. Below is a list of skills you need as a product strategist:

Strategic Thinking: A product strategist must be able to think big, see the bigger picture, and anticipate future trends.
Communication: As a product strategist, you must possess exceptional communication skills, which enable you to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively. You can effectively convey your strategic vision to cross-functional teams, executives, and stakeholders, ensuring alignment and buy-in.
Problem-Solving: Product strategists thrive on tackling complex problems, breaking them down into smaller components, and finding creative solutions. With an analytical mind, you must be able to identify root causes and develop innovative approaches to overcome obstacles.
Data Analysis: A product strategist needs to excel at transforming raw data into meaningful insights. You must be equipped to extract patterns, identify trends, and leverage data to make informed decisions that shape product strategy.

Best certifications for product strategist

The best certification depends on your experience level, career goals, and the specific focus of your product strategy role. Consider a mix of product management, marketing, and potentially innovation-focused programs to build a well-rounded skillset.

Here are a few recommendations to get you started:

Product Management Certification (PMC) (Product School): Ideal for beginners or those transitioning into product strategy, this certification provides a broad foundation in product management principles. It covers topics like user research, product positioning, and go-to-market strategy. Earning a PMC demonstrates a basic understanding of product strategy and its role within the product lifecycle.
Pragmatic Marketing Certified Product Manager (PCMP) (Pragmatic Institute): This certification dives deeper into product strategy, focusing on customer insights, market analysis, and product differentiation. It’s a good option for those who want to hone their strategic thinking and decision-making skills for product success.
AIPMM Certified Product Marketing Manager (CPMM) (Association of International Product Marketing and Management): This certification goes beyond product development and focuses on the marketing side of product strategy. It covers topics like product messaging, competitive analysis, and product launches. Pursue this if your role leans heavily towards product marketing and go-to-market strategy.
Innovation Management Professional (IMP) (Innovation Management Institute): This certification broadens your perspective on product strategy by incorporating elements of innovation management. It teaches you how to identify market opportunities, develop creative solutions, and foster a culture of innovation. It’s valuable for product strategists who want to lead the product development process.
Strategic Product Management Course (Mind the Product): This comprehensive course offered by a well-respected product management community delves into advanced product strategy concepts. It covers topics like product vision, roadmap development, and building a winning product portfolio. Consider this option if you have experience and want to refine your strategic product thinking.
Product Leadership Certification (PLC) (Product School): This advanced certification focuses on the leadership skills needed by product strategists. It covers topics like building product teams, motivating stakeholders, and navigating complex product decisions. It’s ideal for experienced product strategists who want to lead and influence cross-functional teams.
Design Thinking (Various providers): While not a product strategy certification specifically, design thinking is a powerful framework for strategists. Many institutions like IDEO U and Stanford d.school offer courses that teach you how to use design thinking to approach problems creatively and develop user-centric solutions.

Best resources for product strategists

There are a gazillion resources out there for product strategists to study and increase their knowledge of their skills. Here’s a bulleted list of the best resources for product strategists, ranging from books, webinars, podcasts, and blogs:

Best books for product strategists

Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love” by Marty Cagan: This book is a comprehensive guide to creating successful products, focusing on the importance of customer-centric design and effective product management strategies.
The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback” by Dan Olsen: This book provides a step-by-step approach to building products that resonate with customers, using the Lean Startup methodology and rapid iterations based on customer feedback.
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal: Eyal explores the psychology behind creating products that engage users and form long-lasting habits, providing valuable insights for product strategists looking to increase user retention and loyalty.
The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail” by Clayton M. Christensen: A groundbreaking book that examines why established companies often struggle to adapt to disruptive technologies, offering lessons for product strategists on how to navigate innovation and stay ahead of the curve.

Best webinars for product strategists

Staying ahead of the curve in product strategy is crucial for success. Webinars offer a convenient and informative way to learn from industry leaders and enhance your skill set. Here’s a curated list of top webinar sources specifically tailored for product strategists:

Userpilot Events focuses on product growth and user onboarding, which are crucial elements of successful product strategies. Their webinars offer valuable insights on user experience optimization, feature adoption, and user engagement strategies – all directly impacting your product strategy decisions.
ProductPlan provides webinars on product strategy frameworks, prioritization techniques, and creating a product roadmap that aligns with business goals.
CB Insights is a leading market research firm. They host webinars on emerging trends in various industries, which can be valuable for product strategists when conducting market research.

Best blogs for product strategists

Product management blog by Userpilot: From guides to listicles, this blog has hundreds of articles on product management in the SaaS industry.
SVPG blog: Marty Cagan founded the Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG) to share his knowledge and experience with product leaders. Follow this blog and you will learn it all.
Product Talk: Teresa Torres and her team highlight teachings from her reputable book (Product Discovery Habits) to help product teams build valuable products.
Product Manager HQ: The Product Manager HQ blog explains essential product management concepts, offering valuable insights and practical guidance to newbie product managers.
Bring the donuts: A well-known product professional (Ken Norton) offers the best articles in the product strategy realm.

Best podcasts for product strategists

Masters of Scale” hosted by Reid Hoffman: In this podcast, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman interviews successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, providing valuable insights on scaling products and building innovative companies.
The Product Podcast hosted by Rajesh Nerlikar: This podcast features interviews with product leaders from various industries, covering topics such as product strategy, user research, and product-market fit.
How I Built This hosted by Guy Raz: Guy Raz interviews founders of successful companies, offering inspiring stories and lessons learned that can inform product strategists as they navigate the challenges of building and growing products.
Mind the Product by Lily Smith and Robin Zander: The official podcast of the Mind the Product community, this show features interviews with product experts and practitioners, covering a wide range of topics relevant to product strategists.

Best tools for product strategists

As a product strategist, you’ll need tools that specifically support your responsibilities in developing and executing product strategies. Here’s a focused list of tools from the provided options that align with your core duties:

Best tool for product management – Confluence: This collaboration and documentation platform enables product strategists to create and share product strategy documents and business case analyses with stakeholders.
Best tool for data analytics – Google Charts: Google Charts is a versatile data visualization library. By leveraging this tool, you can effectively communicate product performance metrics, user behavior insights, and market trends to stakeholders, facilitating data-driven decision-making.
Best tool for UX/UI Design – Sketch: Sketch is a vector-based design tool that empowers product strategists to create and iterate on product concepts and wireframes.
Best tools for customer experience management – Zoho Desk: Zoho Desk is a customer service platform that enables product strategists to monitor and analyze customer feedback, sentiment, and support trends. By leveraging this tool, you can gain valuable insights into customer needs and pain points, informing your product strategy and prioritization decisions.
Best tool for task management – Asana: This tool helps you stay organized, track the progress of your team, and monitor deadlines.

Product strategist FAQs

Is product strategy a good career?

Absolutely! Product strategy is an exciting and rewarding career. As a product strategist, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of products and services.

How do you become a product strategist?

Pursue relevant certifications or an MBA to strengthen your strategic thinking and business acumen. Seek mentorship from experienced strategists and take on increasing responsibilities to hone your skills.

What is the difference between a product manager and a product strategist?

A product strategist takes a broader, long-term view, guiding the company’s overall product direction based on market research and analysis. In contrast, a product manager focuses on the success of specific products, overseeing their development and launch. In other words, the product strategist sets the high-level vision that product managers execute.

Conclusion

Becoming a successful product strategist requires dedication, continuous learning, and a proactive approach to developing relevant skills.

By following the outlined steps and leveraging the resources available, you can effectively navigate your career path and achieve your professional goals.

We hope this guide has provided you with valuable insights and practical advice to help you on your journey to becoming a proficient and impactful product strategist!

Looking into tools for product strategists? Userpilot is an all-in-one product platform with engagement features and powerful analytics capabilities. Book a demo to see it in action!