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Product Management Fundamentals
Learn and apply the key real world skills and principles to become a successful product manager at top technology companies.
WHY PRODUCT FUNDAMENTALS?
In this cohort you will accelerate your path into a product management career by learning the core foundations of product management from product vision to launching products to customers.
Get real experience & feedback throughout the cohort by creating your product concept using the frameworks and techniques you learn each week, then pitch your final concept at the end of the cohort.
Learn how to identify the right customer problems to solve for your organisation, and how to prioritise and execute outcomes for them as a product manager.
Understand and apply lean methodologies to test your hypothesis, build and release successful products.
Overview of the program
WHO IS THIS COHORT FOR
This cohort is for anyone looking to start their career in product management or who is in their first role in product management. You do not need product management experience to join this cohort.
New to product management
You are interested in product management and may want to look at moving into a career in it.
Early career
You have started in your first product management role and would like to build a strong understanding of the core skills you need.
Adiacent roles
You are in a role that works closely with product managers and would like to better understand how product management works.
Example curriculum
👋 Welcome to Colab Membership
💪 Getting The Most From Your Membership
🧠 Product Management Skills Assessment
Explore the core responsibilities, mindset, and impact of a product manager.
Distinguish between “vitamins” and “painkillers” to understand how products deliver real value.
Gain clarity on how product managers collaborate across teams to drive outcomes.
Learn to frame product goals using vision statements, value propositions, and the Kano Model.
Use frameworks like Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) to identify and prioritize customer problems.
Translate strategic thinking into clear product focus areas for effective decision-making.
Embrace the build–measure–learn cycle to rapidly test assumptions.
Understand MVP principles and how to iterate based on customer feedback.
Understand product metrics to track progress and validate product-market fit.
Discover modern software development approaches (Scrum, Kanban) and how they support rapid iteration.
Learn to break down initiatives into epics and stories for efficient sprint planning.
Practice Lean UX and user testing for continuous, customer-centric improvement.
Combine user feedback, rapid prototyping, and iterative loops to refine your MVP.
Develop a launch-ready plan that aligns with your product’s strategic goals.
Learn how to measure product success and pivot effectively when needed.
Create clear go-to-market (GTM) strategies and integrate them with your product roadmap.
Manage risk by identifying key stakeholders and aligning them around shared objectives.
Understand how to strengthen leadership and collaboration skills to navigate diverse, cross-functional teams.
Deepen your understanding of risk management, product marketing, and stakeholder engagement.
Hone communication strategies to convey product vision, data insights, and roadmap changes.
Prepare for your final presentation by refining your pitch and addressing gaps.
Deliver a final presentation showcasing your product vision, MVP learnings, and GTM approach.
Reflect on key lessons, celebrate your progress, and identify next steps for ongoing growth.
Leave with a comprehensive toolkit and the confidence to excel in real-world product roles.
PAST INSTRUCTORS AND PROGRAM CREATORS
John Bowker
Group Product Manager @ ezyVet
John has had a varied product and engineering career across the gaming and SaaS industry for over 16 years. From building online gaming experiences to delivering platforms for small businesses at scale, most recently in Veterinary Software, he has experienced heaps and learnt much about how to do Product delivery rightly and wrongly! Since 2022 John has been the Lead Facilitator for the Product Fundamentals Cohort, growing new Product Managers eager to deliver amazing customer-centric outcomes.
Sabah Zdandowska
Product Strategy Consultant
Product strategy consultant and fractional CPO / Head of Product. As part of her consultancy work, she focuses on startups, scaleups, and NGOs, specifically in the open data space. She guides teams through the process from identifying opportunities through user research to designing, developing, testing and launching products with a clear go-to-market (GTM) strategy, utilising 15+ years of experience in the global tech sector.
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM FORMAT
This is a eight week cohort that uses live instructor-led sessions, group collaboration, and personal work to develop your own product concept. In this cohort you will learn core modules built by product leaders currently working in product management.
KEY PROGRAM DETAILS
Start date
Next Cohorts:
- September 2025
Format
Online group sessions
Duration
8 weeks
Time
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm NZT
Size
Max 18 Members
Cost
$1,450 NZD + GST
When signing up for this cohort, you’ll get a one-year membership to Colab. This includes monthly events, resources, and networking.
This course can be paid for upfront or in monthly payments. We are happy to discuss flexible payment options as well.
If you are interested in using this program as part of your professional development spend, we can help you provide more detail for your company if needed.
Contact us for more information.
LEARN BETTER WITH COLAB
Our cohorts are designed to give you a richer learning experience.
Each week of learning with COLAB includes group collaboration, hands-on application, and real-world examples from current product leaders.
Sessions are live workshops with world-class Instructors where conversation and engagement are encouraged.
Join a cohort of engaged peers with who you will learn and grow alongside. Helping you create a community that drives your growth and theirs together.
Join the growing COLAB Community platform.
Trusted by professionals from top companies
TESTIMONIALS FROM COLAB MEMBERS
I'm in my first role as a Product Owner so I found the Product Management Fundamentals course a great way to get across the foundations and key concepts of Product. We did lots of practical exercises to put the theory into practise and I would recommend this course to others starting out in their product career, or thinking about a career in product, and wanting to arm themselves with the key fundamentals.
I found the Product Management Fundamentals course very thoughtfully designed, covering the essential concepts that are invaluable in today's product management industry.
What truly set this course apart was the practical approach that not only enhanced the learning but also opened new perspectives and ideas.
I would recommend this course to anyone keen to equip themselves with Product Fundamentals skills.
Learning from Colab helped me better understand about Product Management world, and how this role is important in a Software Development life-cyle. On top of this, I learn about so many frameworks that I can apply in my current role and progress to my career. The best thing about a cohort is I can learn from my Instructor, and my peers from different industries! For a person who would like to get into Product World and grow as a Product Person, this is a good course for an introduction and learning from different people from a different industry :)
Fundamentals course was extremely valuable to me as a new and growing Product Practitioner. It allowed me to dive into topics that I hadn’t experienced before. The course was structured in a way that was very digestible and easy to follow even without existing product knowledge. Building a product concept around the techniques and skills learned really helped consolidate my knowledge and allowed me to experiment.
FAQ
What should I expect from this cohort?
You will meet once a week for a live session with your instructors and peers to learn and apply the key real world skills that make a successful product manager. This cohort focuses on combining the teaching of key skill sets and principles with applying your learning to your own product concept.
Who should participate in this cohort?
If you are starting out in your product career or want to transition into product management, this cohort is perfect for you. No product management experience is required to join this cohort.
How can I be part of this cohort?
You can apply using the links on this page to join our Product Fundamentals Cohort. There are only 20 spots available within these cohorts.
How much time do I need to commit to the program?
At a minimum we do need you to join the three hours per week that we have sessions. We would also recommend putting aside a few more hours to work on your home work and chat with fellow cohort members on what you are learning.
What are your payment options if cost is a barrier?
We want to ensure everyone gets an opportunity to invest in their growth and participate in our cohorts. Please reach out if you'd like to discuss flexible payment options and we will ensure you can access the cohort of your choice.
Are all cohort sessions online?
Yes, we hold all our sessions online to enable access for people from different geographies. But, we also love to meet in person too and organise wider Colab coffees and drinks regularly that you can join!
Do I need to attend all of the live sessions?
We highly recommend that you attend all of the cohort sessions. Of course, sometimes life comes up and we understand if people need to miss a session. If you do, we provide recordings of each session.
How can I learn more about a cohort to see if it is right for me?
Please reach out to us if you would like to talk more about a particular cohort. We are happy to talk and help you find the one that will give you the most growth and value.