July's top product management reads

From sharpening core skills to rethinking what makes a great product, July’s most-read articles took us back to product fundamentals, with new perspectives. Whether you’re building better habits, championing accessibility, or navigating the messy middle of product strategy, here’s a recap of the most popular content product people were accessing on Mind the Product last month.

How an MBA made me a better product manager

Ziyu Ye shares how her MBA at MIT Sloan reshaped her product mindset. The coursework? Intense. The workshops? Cutting edge. But the real takeaway was confidence: the ability to experiment, communicate clearly, and drive impact in a fast-moving space.

She also credits the MBA with exposing her to new domains, from filmmaking to robotics, that now influence how she builds.

Read Ziyu’s reflections here.

The Most Common Skill Gap in Aspiring PMs—And How to Fix It

James Effarah has mentored over 120 aspiring product managers. His key insight? The biggest skill gap is the ability to communicate vision with clarity and confidence.

He outlines practical ways to build this muscle, from storytelling exercises to refining how you present ideas. It’s an essential read for anyone preparing for interviews or levelling up their stakeholder management game.

Read James’ advice here.

Top Product Management Resources for Summer 2025

Need fresh inspiration? We curated a list of essential reads and listens for the summer. Each resource helps product managers and leaders alike to deepen their craft, focus on outcomes, and stay sharp through the slower summer months.

Browse the full list here.

Why We Should Care About Building Accessible Products

Dee Miller, Director of Product Strategy and Insights at Adobe, shared why accessibility should be a core product principle.

In this conversation, she explores how inclusive design makes products better for everyone and why accessibility should be embedded from day one.
“You’re not designing for users with disabilities—you’re designing with them. That’s how you create great experiences for all.”

Listen to Dee’s interview here.

Get Better at Making Better Products

In a standout talk at ProductTank Wellington, Vidya Dinamani (Founder, Product Rebels) reminded us that shipping isn’t the same as succeeding.

Her key points? Be more deliberate. Focus on outcomes. Measure impact. And most importantly, make time to improve how you build, not just what you build.

Catch Vidya’s full talk here.

What product management topics are on your mind right now? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at editor@mindtheproduct.com.