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by wheelinsupial 961 days ago
I enjoyed “Making Things Happen” by Scott Berkun. You can start with the blog [1] to see if you like the style and probably get a good overview without needing the book.

Other than that, there is the standard set of PMP prep resources, but I didn’t find any of those to be anything other than dry and boring.

[1] https://scottberkun.com/blog/
1 comments
scsteps 960 days ago
Thank you! I will check this out :)

Update: this book looks like it came out in 2008. Still relevant?

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wheelinsupial 960 days ago
Yes, I think it's still relevant. It doesn't adapt all of the project management jargon from the certifications, though. I read this 5 or 6 years ago and I learned a lot.

I didn't realize how large the blog has become. https://scottberkun.com/2012/how-to-make-things-happen/ is where to start to see if you want to read the book. Basically it boils down to: make a list, prioritize the list, execute the list.

There is a lot more to project management than that. For example, how do you present the list? How do you negotiate the list? What happens if you're working on a project with a lot of tech debt and other half finished work that needs to be brought back on track. I don't know if this book talks about that, and I don't really know of any books that goes beyond the very basics or deal with projects that aren't trivial.

Project management is vast. What are you interested in learning more about? Are you interested in agile or waterfall? I'd recommend reading the original "waterfall" paper from Royce from the 70s [1]. I think it's still relevant and helps to dispel "waterfall." For scrum, I'd recommend the HBR article from the 80s [2].

Are you looking for articles on Gantt charts, PERT charts, WBS, critical path. You can look at the PMP book.

Are you looking for stories on projects? I haven't read them, but The Phoenix Project is recommended on HN a bit.

For podcasts, I listen to the Digital Project Manager and PM Happy Hour.

[1] https://www.praxisframework.org/files/royce1970.pdf

[2] https://hbr.org/1986/01/the-new-new-product-development-game

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scsteps 960 days ago
Wow thank you so much for all these great resources! I think I’ll start with the article you shared. Also, I guess this is me being ignorant, but it’s amazing how vast the PM field is. Excited to dive in. I will most likely be reading all of the materials you’ve share with me.

Also, I checked your profile! I wish I knew your Twitter handle or some other ways to keep in touch somehow. But oh well! I won’t push for it.

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