fbpx Product Management and Society: Building Technology in the Public Interest | Harvard Kennedy School
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Kathy Pham

Appointment
Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy

DPI-678M

Intended for those interested in understanding the critical role of a product manager to build technology services in the public sector or in mission focused private sector.  All levels of product management experience welcomed; no experience in software, product management, or design necessary.

Delivering critical services to the public requires building technology that works for people and for society. In environments like the public, non-profit, and mission-oriented private sectors, this is can be a challenge, but it is possible and necessary to build thriving societies. This course will focus on the role of the product manager in working across cross-functional teams including engineering, design, users, policy, marketing, analytics, vendors, and stakeholders when building technology products. Students will learn how to think like a product manager and how to partner with product managers. Students will learn how product managers set strategy, define products, advocate for the user, build in equity by design, experiment with prototyping, integrate ethical considerations, define metrics, utilize testing, prioritize accessibility, manage stakeholders, and understand market or policy factors in order to ship technology services and products that benefit people.