30: Do Product Managers Need an MBA?

In this episode of the How to Succeed in Product Management Podcast, marketing professor Jeff Shulman and The Product Management Center advisory board member Red Russak welcome Kelcey Joyce (Bright Health) to talk about PMs having an MBA. Is it a necessary credential for all aspiring and existing PMs? Will it matter if you have one? Listen in to find out if pursuing advanced education is a must!    Support for How to Succeed in Product Management is brought to you by Apptentive, which enables product managers to measure shifts in customer emotion and gather actionable feedback across the mobile customer journey. To learn more, go to Apptentive.com/UW.   What to Listen For: 00:00 Intro 00:57 Do I need an MBA? 08:26 People with technical background may not need an MBA   10:01 How does having an MBA help? 12:39 Diversity for people pursuing an MBA 15:05 Juggling priorities between work and pursuing advanced education 19:27 Understand what other players are within your industry 25:29 Moving things through in a heavily regulated industry 31:00 What is the role of a product manager? 36:51 Help customers find the products that will solve their problems 41:54 It’s about presenting the product and giving value to it 47:23 Find a good resume matching tool 51:39 An MBA can help accelerate your career shift, but not a requirement 53:02 It depends on your end goal