Curriculum
Year after year, we are improving our curriculum based on feedback and new rising needs for APMs in Montreal.
The curriculum for each cohort is finalized in partnership with the participating Mentors so that it reflects their expertise and interests. Each cohort's curriculum is structured in four areas:
Introductory classes
These include the two kickoffs where participants get to know each other and the first class which touches on what it means to be a product manager.
Meet & greet sessions with Mentors & APMs
Session 1 - What is Product Management
Building Great Products
Session 2 - Understanding your customers
Session 3 - Measure what matters
Session 4 - Writing user stories
Session 5 - Working with Engineers
Session 6 - Working with UX design
Session 7 - The lean startup
Session 8 - Prioritizing features for your team
Session 9 - Working with data and analytics
Marketing products
Session 10 - Positioning
Session 11 - Working with Customer Facing Teams
Session 12 - Customer Engagement
On the path to Senior PM
Session 13 - Business Strategy
Session 14 - Product Strategy
Session 15 - How to manage your time as a PM
Session 16 - Communication & Influence
Session 17 - Difficult Conversations & non violent communication
Session 18 - Panel: Ask anything to the mentors!
How are sessions run?
The exact format of each session depends on the senior PM that is leading it.
That said, each session usually includes the following aspects:
Pre reading in advance
Icebreaker/warmup
Discuss pre-reads
Short talk (20 min)
Exercises and activities
The thesis of the program is that there are many ways to approach key issues in product management and that the best PMs use judgement and creativity to tailor their approach to the needs of the company. The goal for the learning environment is therefore to create a safe space for conversation and inquiry between all members of the community.
"APM Montréal helped me learn how I could apply my skills to product management practices. From product strategy to influencing and communication, I had a chance practice them with other APMs during clearly defined workshops, solving real work problems with support and feedback from Senior PMs. Thank you APM Montréal for helping me get the PM experience that's required to land the first PM job."
Gulen Buyukbayram - Product manager at Heyday.ai
APM cohort 2022
"The APM program gives invaluable experiences from networking to critical thinking and problem solving, the opportunity to learn from and work with such a talented pool of mentors and APMs was amazing and I'm excited to see where we all go from here!"
Maya Harrington - APM at Receptivity
APM cohort 2021