Professional associations provide value to career development. The first professional association I was involved in was the Project Management Institute, and I eventually became certified as a Project Manager Professional (PMP) because I recognized its value in helping me improve my project management capabilities while also helping me to stand out with future employers. Another association I have valued, as well as contributed to, is specific to product managers, marketing managers, and innovators. It is AIPMM, The Association of International Product Marketing and Management. I interviewed the president, Therese Padilla, to learn more about this important organization.

 

Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators

Highlights from the discussion include…

• Association of International Product Marketers and Managers (AIPMM) was founded in 1998.
• The association exists to advance the profession of product management and support anybody and any organization that is involved in product management.
• AIPMM surveyed the product management literature and created a standardized product management framework that consists of seven activities:
  • Conceive
  • Plan
  • Develop
  • Qualify
  • Launch
  • Deliver
  • Retire
• AIPMM sponsored creating the Product Body of Knowledge (ProdBOK) – a guide to the product management body of knowledge written by 60 expert contributors. See TEI 017 episode for the discussion with the editor of the ProdBOK.
• AIPMM believes that the skill set of product management is more important than specific domain or industry knowledge for product managers. To help product managers develop the skill set to be great at product management, AIPMM created a training and certification program.
• AIPMM’s certifications include:
  • Certified Product Manager – emphasizes the management of the product development activities, focusing on the Conceive, Plan, Develop, and Qualify activities of the standardized product management framework.
  • Certified Marketing Manager – focused on outbound marketing, distribution, and channel management. This highlights the Launch, Deliver, and Retire activities of the standardized product management framework.
  • Agile Certified Product Manager – applies the practices of product management in an agile development environment.
  • Certified Innovation Leader – prepares product managers, product marketers, and innovators to lead the creation of new products by understanding and applying ideation and innovation methodologies. It covers the very beginning of product creation (the managed front end), frequently used product innovation approaches and tools, and a product development process to manage risk. It is the most comprehensive of the certifications available and integrates aspects of product management and marketing management.

Useful links:

• AIPMM website
• Signup to be notified of webinars
• The Guide to the Product Management and Marketing Body of Knowledge: ProdBOK

 

Innovation Quotes

“Change before you have to.”  – Jack Welch

 

Listen Now to the Interview

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 Raw Transcript

TEI035-Therese_Padilla

 

Thanks!

Thank you for being an Everyday Innovator and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.