The 7 Knowledge Areas of Product Mastery – with Chad McAllister, PhD

To listen to the interview, search for Product Mastery Now on your favorite podcast player.

The essential knowledge areas that give product managers more influence and success

Today we’re talking about the seven knowledge areas for product mastery. These are the knowledge areas that make us successful as product masters who know how to create new value for our customers. They also lead to more influence in our organizations. This is the beginning of a series where we’ll dive into each of the seven knowledge areas.

Summary of topics discussed for product managers

Watch the full interview with PowerPoint slides on the Product Mastery now YouTube channel.

[1:14] Who is Chad McAllister?

I’m a product management professor, practitioner, trainer, and host of the Product Mastery Now podcast.

[3:19] Chad’s path to product management

• Worked in software project management
• Became fascinated with why we sometimes miss the mark in developing products for customers
• Earned a PhD in Innovation to study this problem more deeply
• Discovered the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA)
• Learned the PDMA product management and product innovation Body of Knowledge (BoK)
• Created an online training system for people to learn the BoK, including the seven knowledge areas
• Contributed to the BoK, which is now complied in a book released every few years

[13:40] Co-author of the 2024 edition of the Product Development and Management Body of Knowledge: A Guidebook for Product Innovation Training and Certification

[15:31] Why did Chad co-author the 2024 BoK?

• I value the BoK and want to improve it
• Opportunity to give back to the product management community
• Not for book royalties—all sales support PDMA, a non-profit organization

[17:10] Who is the BoK for?

• Product managers, innovators, or leaders seeking comprehensive guidance on the required disciplines for increasing the success of product innovation
• Those planning a new career in product or innovation management
• Everyone committed to earning the New Product Development Professional (NPDP) recognition to demonstrate their understanding of product innovation

[21:55] Why might you be interested in the BoK?

• Product professionals need a proven framework to fill gaps in their knowledge while also deepening their understanding
• The BoK provides an established framework for a wide cross-section of product and service industries at various levels of an organization
• Only PDMA can provide this, based on researching and curating the body of knowledge since 1976

[26:23] What’s next?

Over the next few weeks, we’ll discuss the seven knowledge areas:

1. Product Innovation Management
2. Strategy
3. Portfolio Management
4. Process
5. Design & Development
6. Market Research
7. Culture & Teams

Watch the full interview with PowerPoint slides on the Product Mastery now YouTube channel.

Put the information Chad shared into action now. Click here to download the Action Guide.

Useful links:

• Check out the 2024 Product Development and Management Body of Knowledge by Allan Anderson, Chad McAllister, and Ernie Harris
• Find out how the Rapid Product Mastery Experience, the fastest path to higher-performing product managers and teams, can help your team

To listen to the interview, search for Product Mastery Now on your favorite podcast player.