Maven

How to Reach Strong Product-Market Fit

Todd Jackson

Partner at First Round Capital

Gagan Biyani

Co-founder of Maven

Key questions to deeply understanding your customers'  frustrations & desires so you can build a product they truly want

How to identify your customers' real problems

Learn when to write code vs. build a  no-code MVP to test and de-risk your ideas

How to test demand by selling before building

Get the fundamentals of Todd's PMF framework on Lenny's podcast: https://bit.ly/3R6LEOT

🎧 Recommended listening

You sat through another meeting today feeling totally lost as the devs threw around terms like “rate limits” and “microservices”. Every time you have to make decisions that impact an engineer’s implementation, you feel like you’re on the back foot and struggling to keep up with the details. After you hand off a feature to engineering, you have no idea if it will be delivered the way you're expecting. You can feel confident, you just need the right plan. The reason most PMs can’t improve their technical skills is that they follow random online tutorials with no real plan or guidance. Or try to go from zero to 100 overnight by upskilling on complex topics - only to give up feeling frustrated and disappointed. That’s why this cohort is designed to help you build a foundational understanding of software applications. You won’t just memorize a bunch of terms - you’ll actually understand how software products are designed and deployed to handle millions of users. And our community will be here to give you the support, guidance, and accountability you’ll need to finally stick with it. After only 4 weeks, you’ll look back and think.. “WOW! I can’t believe I did that.”&nbsp; Now imagine if you could: ✅ Master technical concepts without getting lost in an internet maze. ✅ Stop asking engineers to dumb down concepts when talking to you. ✅ Predict risks, anticipate issues, and avoid endless back-and-forth. ✅ Improve your communication with engineers, users, and technical stakeholders&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Getting started is easy. 1️⃣ Start with my 8-day email course to start building confidence with APIs today (enroll for free below!) 2️⃣ Enroll in the 4-week cohort to build your foundations with application architecture, APIs, software development lifecycle, and system design. 3️⃣ Continue your journey with The Vault, our content library covering technical tradeoffs, generative AI, technical interview prep, and more. 🎉 Bonus: When you enroll in this course, you’ll receive $1,395 in free credits to level up your workflow with Superhuman, Linear, Sprig, Dovetail &amp; Gamma (see FAQ for details) 📣 Live sessions are at 5PM EST and 5PM CET on Thursdays! You can pick whichever works best for you! All live sessions are recorded.

Does this sound familiar? 

Understand how technical skills fit into a PMs toolkit and why technical PMs get ahead faster.

Why PMs with Tech Skills Win

Start with fundamental application architecture and move to advanced topics such as containerization, microservices, and more

Application Architecture

Learn how APIs work and why they are a requirement for almost every modern software product

APIs

Get up to speed with SQL and start retrieving and analyzing data independently

Data Models

Build rapport with engineers by understanding development workflows and lifecycles.

Software Development Life Cycle

Learn how to scale applications to millions of users.

System Design + Scalability 

Course syllabus

Live Sessions

Recorded Lessons

Practice Exercises

Course schedule

Senior Product Managers.Build confidence and gain a competitive edge amongst your peers

Non-technical PMs.Overcome imposter syndrome, improve communication, and make better product decisions

MBA graduates and consultants.Seamlessly transition into product by learning critical technical skills

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

Feel more confident in your decisions by building a deeper understanding of technical tradeoffs

Build confidence

Engage engineering by using common language

Improve communication

Understand fundamentals by learning and practicing essential concepts

Grow your technical skills

Gain a competitive edge in your career by demonstrating your technical acumen

Excel in your Product career

Build confidence without getting lost in technical jargon 
🔥Featured on Lenny's Newsletter🔥 

Cohort 12

Colin Matthews

Product Manager @ Datavant

Cohort 11 

Cohort 13

Top rated by tech founders &amp; product managers from U.S., U.K., Israel and India. ﻿Rated Top 50 Maven Course!-------------- Many early stage companies hustle to find product market fit hoping to get lucky.&nbsp;They launch the tech, get a bunch of early customers - and hope that they find the market.&nbsp;Hustle without a plan, hope without a strategy, doesn’t work.&nbsp; This bootcamp offers an alternative. Master the PMF Five Factors Framework, a market driven structured approach to: 1. Figure out the right customer to target2. Position your product offering, not just tech3. Establish your category point of view4. Lay out your go-to-market pathways5. Assess the key talent you need&nbsp; Tie it all together with a plan ready to test in the market.&nbsp; This cohort-based course includes live teaching, videos &amp; worksheets, peer feedback and solo projects to level up your entire PMF plan.

Gain insights to sharpen your product market fit - and execute smarter

Learn the PMF five factor framework (customer, product, category, GTM and talent).<ol><li>Learn why a structured approach to PMF matters</li><li>Practice the sharp questions to get familiar with PMF Five Factors Framework&nbsp;</li><li>Create your Baseline PMF Scorecard, using the framework&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ol> PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to score your baseline PMF

Setting Baseline: Find how good is your PMF today

<ul><li>Establish where your product fits in the software (tech) stack</li><li>Map your customer subtypes for buyers and users</li><li>Identify relevant value frameworks for each customer subtype</li><li>Build value drivers for each customer subtype</li></ul>Summarize your Hungry Customer archetype&nbsp; PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to calibrate your CUSTOMER Factor

CALIBRATE: Who is your Hungry Customer?

Define your Magical Product<ol><li>Discover your Brand Insight</li><li>Define your Brand Promise</li><li>Differentiate your Offering</li></ol>Summarize your Magical Product PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to calibrate your PRODUCT Factor

CALIBRATE: What is your Magical Product?

Set and play a New Game in Category<ul><li>Create your contrarian POV</li><li>Define your change criteria</li><li>Paint an inevitable future</li><li>Identify an early adopter segment</li></ul>Summarize your New Game in Category PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to calibrate your CATEGORY Factor

CALIBRATE: Where is your New Game in Category?

Determine your GTM pathways<ul><li>Find your customer orientation (intensity)</li><li>Set you GTM strategy </li><li>Choose primary pathway (PLG, ALG, etc.)</li><li>Choose your channel pathways, as necessary</li></ul>Summarize your Repeatable GTM<ul><li>Short list top GTM pathways, sequencing and metrics</li></ul> PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to calibrate your GTM factor

CALIBRATE: How to find Repeatable GTM?

Ready your team &amp; talent for PMF<ul><li>Ensure Founder to Category fit</li><li>Ensure CTO to Product fit</li><li>Ensure GTM Lead to Pathway fit</li><li>Prepare for key customer relationships</li></ul>Summarize your Ready Talent PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to calibrate your TALENT Factor

CALIBRATE: With whom to build Ready Talent?   

<ul><li>Assemble your story building blocks from calibration</li><li>Create your brand value story (positioning)</li><li>Build your value story test plan</li></ul> PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to create your VALUE story

HOW TO: Create & test your value story

Learn a risk mitigation framework and apply to:<ul><li>Identify key uncertainties (known &amp; unknown) for each factor</li><li>Define the information &amp; insights needed to lower risks for each factor</li><li>Build PMF sprint plan to execute in-market</li></ul> PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to build your PMF Risk Mitigation Plan

HOW TO: Build & test your PMF risk mitigation plan

<ul><li>Assess your final cut PMF calibration</li><li>Compare to your baseline calibration</li><li>Get ready for in-market sprint</li></ul> PRE-WORK: Videos &amp; ReadingsSOLO WORKSHEET: to calibrate your next PMF sprint

Final Cut: Testable PMF Calibration

ONE live sessions per week with instructor and peers

Tuesdays

Before Each Live Session~ Study 1-hour of async material beforehand (videos + readings) to learn concepts During Each Live Session~ Engage in 1-hour live session<ul><li>Recap of async materials</li><li>Group Exercises</li><li>Solo Worksheets &amp; Projects</li><li>Case Studies</li><li>Q&amp;A</li></ul>~ Bonus materials (optional)

Eight Week Course

You are expected to learn the core concepts through videos and worksheets BEFORE you come to each session. We recap the material briefly in class but you spend most time on hands-on exercises (group &amp; solo), case studies and live Q&amp;A to make progress on your PMF.

Async pre-work (videos & readings) before each session

<ul><li>You will get WORKSHEETS for each module to improve your PMF plan - in private. </li><li>You are expected to share your insights &amp; get feedback from your peers in class.</li><li>While not mandatory, you are expected to share your updated PMF plan in the last session.</li></ul>

Bite-size Solo Projects

Course Schedule

You're an early or growth stage B2B Tech Founder who knows the hustle. You need to speed up your PMF plan for lean times.

You’re a Product Leader that has a product [MVP] in a competitive market - but not enough customer traction yet.

You’re a GTM Leader (Sales or Marketing) with early customers. Though you are not sure of the ideal profile or the best GTM to reach them.

This course is for you IF...

Build a clear PMF plan and execute with confidence

You will have a baseline understanding &amp; score of your current PMF - what's good, what's not. You will uncover key risks in your plan that you should address.

A clear assessment of your current PMF

You will create a sharper company story ready to test with customers, investors or partners - all built around your value hypothesis.

A new customer & company story

You will have a smarter PMF plan ready to test in market that reduces your key risks of failure

An actionable PMF plan - ready to execute

Speed up your market success by building a comprehensive PMF plan using the Five Factors Framework 

Cohort 6

Anurag Wadehra

Growth Coach & Advisor

Cohort 5

Cohort 7

Do you work with (or are) a cofounder leading product in a small startup (10-100 people) or a product line in a bigger company? Do you feel you are facing daunting expectations to build and deliver? And you are not sure you'll be able to meet them? Do you wonder if your team is working the best way it can? And what you may need to change? Do you feel the need to figure out how to improve your team's trajectory and where to start? Do you have a new project that you need to plan and deliver? Do you think you are not getting great results fast enough? Are you new to your role and need some expert guidance? If two or more of these statements apply to you, this course will help you. Imagine if you could: ✅ Identify your biggest challenges and problems when it comes to your product and team ✅ Learn how to plan and act following product management best practices ✅ Build your confidence and your skills so you can make changes that make a difference ✅ Understand the product management maturity models and take yours to the next level 🔥&nbsp;All alumni have the opportunity to join our private community with their peers and growth opportunities!

Do any of these seem familiar?

Learn product thinking and the key questions any founder or product person needs to answer to deliver results

Applied Product Thinking in Early-stage Startups

Introducing you to the highest value product frameworks and concepts for you, your career and your team

Product Frameworks & Concepts

Coaching to apply the lessons and define next steps for you

Next Steps

<ul><li>Readings and learning material</li><li>Self-paced personal projects to apply what you learn</li></ul>

Asynchronous Weekly Project & Workbook

<ul><li>1 hour class + 30 minute Q&amp;A</li></ul>

Weekly Workshops

We work on what's most important to help you move forward. We can review your projects together and set you on your way to success.

Q&A Sessions

Heads of Product &amp; Cofounders responsible for product and engineering teams at companies with 10-100 employees

New product managers and leaders working with small teams who want to fast-track their impact and career growth

Non-product people (e.g., engineers, designers, marketers) who need to act as the product person to cover for a gap on the team

Learn over 20 product frameworks developed and used by top organizations like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Stanford, but adapted for startups.

Understand the holistic modern product process for startups at various stages (Seed to Series B)

Evaluate your biggest challenges and create a plan using frameworks related to Product Discovery, Prioritization, and Development to get to Product Market Fit.

Create a plan to get closer to product market fit using best practices, frameworks, and models 

You'll expand your horizons and see the big picture more clearly. Then achieve quick wins to increase your impact and reduce stress and doubt

Start your highest impact actions based on your current challenges and circumstances

Success in product is beyond technical skills and process and comes down to how you work as a team

Navigate the complex and challenging dynamics of small and growing cross-functional teams

You will have multiple "aha" moments where you learn better ways you and your team can do things. Instead of many theories, take the few with the highest value

Gain multiple high-impact insights for yourself, your product, and your team

Understand the skills great product managers need and identify your next step

Learn the fundamental skills of great product people

Learn how to use AI (e.g., v0, Replit, Claude, ChatGPT) to improve your speed and quality of your work to get results faster

Learn where and how AI can help

Develop core product skills you need, navigate challenges with your team, peers, and leaders, and gain confidence.

Jan 2025

David Jorjani

3x Head of Product (2 Acquired), U of Toronto Instructor, Organizational Coach

Cohort 11

Feb 2025

Breaking into Product Management is not easy. I know; I've supported over 4,000+ professionals in the past 8 years&nbsp;to break into Product management. I've worked with top institutions like General Assembly, Melbourne Business School, Harvard Innovation Labs and my school at Product Academy to help people make the career transition. ---This is a 10-week COHORT with 40+ HOURS of async content and WEEKLY 1.5-hour practice sessions with a cohort size of 12 to 14 passionate and&nbsp;ambitious tech professionals. ❤️ Our 5 Step Process Over the next 10 weeks:This course will prepare you for the 12-month journey with knowledge, experience and a cohort of accountable peers to prepare for job opportunities. ✅ Step 1: Understanding the foundations (Weeks 1-2): Understand PM Basics, Business, and CustomersGain a strong foundation in Product Management, exploring what PMs do, the skills required, and how to align business goals with customer needs. ✅ Step 2: Strategy &amp; Discovery (Weeks 3-4): Develop Product Strategy and Identify OpportunitiesLearn how to craft a product strategy, assess market dynamics, and uncover customer insights to define valuable opportunities. ✅ Step 3: Roadmapping &amp; Execution (Weeks 5-6): Build Roadmaps and Deliver ValueTranslate strategy into actionable roadmaps while managing execution, technical feasibility, and product launches. ✅ Step 4. Interview Prep (Weeks 7-9): Master Product Sense, Analytics, and Behavioral InterviewsPrepare for the most challenging aspects of PM interviews, including product sense, analytics, and behavioural assessments. ✅ Step 5. Career Launch (Week 10): Build Your Brand and Nail Your Job SearchPolish your profile, create a job strategy, and position yourself to land your first PM role with confidence. 💡 What you'll get: - Proven, Real-World Approach: I quit my job, moved to the U.S., and restarted my career to validate that my teachings actually work. Through countless rejections, rebuilding my network, and landing a role in a double unicorn company. I’ve discarded theoretical fluff and distilled what&nbsp;actually works—I’m living proof of the results you can achieve. - Personalized Attention, Tight-Knit Cohorts: With only 12–14 carefully selected participants per cohort, I prioritize building camaraderie and providing personal guidance. This isn’t a mass-market course; it’s an intimate, hands-on experience designed to support you every step of the way. - Lifetime Refund Guarantee: If my teachings don’t work for you, I offer a 100% Lifetime Refund—no time limits, no questions asked (except how I can improve). I stand by your success and am invested in your journey, even years after the course. ⏰ Time Commitments: Time is truly our most precious asset! That's why I've created this course to help you make the most out of the time you invest. Your commitment will be about ~ 4.5 Hours to 5.5 Hours Per Week: - 1.5 Hours of Live Classes Weekly (12PM Fridays for AEST | 6PM Thursdays for PST) - 2 Hours of Self-paced Learning Weekly - 1 Hour of Optional Office Hours Weekly (TBC with Cohort) - 1 Hour buffer for Group Discussions / Socials / (at your own pace) ---❤️ Preparing you for your Product Career Journey Breaking into Product Management takes about 12 months, and you can't get 'certified' as a PM, unlike what most institutions sell. Here's what actually happens based on what I've seen coaching hundreds of students:- Most people take about 6 - 12 months to transition into the Product Manager role. Depending on their experience, skills and job market opportunities- The&nbsp;first 6 months of the journey&nbsp;involve having the right knowledge before embarking on the competitive job market. Otherwise, you'll get rejected so many times you'll give up.- The next 6 months of the journey focuses on building a network, marketing yourself, and seizing opportunities. The trick is to build a pipeline of opportunities and be ready when the experience/market fit role comes.(Of course, if you have a background in Business, Design, or Engineering, this process can be quicker.) 💎 WHAT'S THE ROI? Besides the joy of building products to help people solve problems and leaving a legacy in this world... - Product Managers get paid $120K - $150K on average and can get up to $500K-$1M in more prominent companies.(https://www.levels.fyi/t/product-manager?countryId=254) So this is why most people in Tech SCALE into a Product role; it's a great role with a high ceiling. 💡 WHO WILL YOU BE LEARNING FROM? You'll be learning directly from me, Dave Wang (aka Product Dave) 👋 I've been doing Product for 17+ Years. Not just 'work-experience but 'product-experience'. I started from the bottom up as a Junior PM and worked my way to Product Leadership roles at Linktree, Expedia, Vodafone, CommBank, and Airtasker. I wanted to follow the same path as my students so I quit my $250K+ job and moved from Australia to the US.&nbsp;Starting over as a Product Manager—building my brand, networking, facing rejections, and trying again. After&nbsp;8 months of rejections, I finally landed a role as a Senior Product Manager in a Unicorn company within the industry I love. Starting again has been humbling, but the best thing is that&nbsp;I know what I teach works, not just in Australia but worldwide. You’ll learn from behind the scenes as a BEGINNER, a PRACTITIONER and a HIRING MANAGER. You can learn more about me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/productdave/ 🤔 WHY AM I BUILDING THIS COURSE? The common heart-wrenching mistake I've seen a lot of people is they pay $5K to $10K for a Certificate and realise the Certificates don't even help them get callbacks for interviews. That's because there are NO Certificates for product management are recognised by the industry.(Anyone telling you otherwise is lying to you) The only way to break into Product Management is through learning, doing, and networking. In fact, without any certifications or fancy degrees, I have helped hundreds of people secure Product Manager roles in companies like Amazon, Canva, Zendesk, Atlassian, and many others. ❤️ MY PROMISE TO YOU I've seen so much success in my course that I can guarantee a Lifetime Refund.&nbsp;If you've attended the class and completed the work and find it was a waste of your time. I'll give you a 100% refund at any point in your career, now or later.&nbsp;Just reach out, and we'll issue a full refund. The only question I'll ask is how I can improve. Another promise I want to make to you is that this is a highly curated cohort and only 12-14 people will be selected each time. If you're still 'exploring' if Product Management is the right role for you - check out my self-paced course here: https://www.productacademy.io/ Learning from self-paced material is the best way to start for people still exploring. (Scroll down to the download section for the guide on why) Plus, I will be here when you are ready.

Your Product Career Starts Here

Provide a brief description for each module as a way to sell the value of what students will be learning throughout the course.

First Module

Second Module

Third Module

<ul><li>Weekly 1.5 Live Practice Sessions</li><li>With 2 Hours of paced content and quizzes during the week</li><li>Final Project may take 3 - 4 Hours at the end of week 10 </li></ul>

Thursdays (US) or Fridays (APAC) 


Mid-Career Professionals You are a mid-career professional eager to transition into product management role. (BA, Design, Eng, PO, Project)

3 - 6 Months in your PM Career Transition journeyYou've ready enough books, completed self-paced course and you're ready for the next stage

The “Unofficial” Product Manager&nbsp;You’re already performing the duties of a Product Manager but lack the official title.

<ul><li>Gain&nbsp;first-hand knowledge&nbsp;of what a PM does through theory and real-life examples.</li><li>Develop a&nbsp;plan&nbsp;to network, build a personal brand, and navigate interviews effectively.</li><li>Formulate&nbsp;groups&nbsp;that collaborate to achieve the shared goal of breaking into Product Management.</li></ul>

Break Into PM With Realistic Knowledge, a Plan and a System for Ongoing Support

<ul><li>Multiple workshops with project created to help you apply what you have learned.</li><li>Optional student showcased on the Product Academy student alumni page. To help you build a brand for yourself.</li></ul>

Collaborative Projects to Help You Apply What You Learn (With a Final Presentation Listed on the Alumni Profile Page)

<ul><li>Granted access to a Miro Board of 20+ tools to help you through your journey</li><li>Tools will be filled out as we progress through the course.</li><li>Students are encouraged to take inspiration from each other; it’s not a competition.</li></ul>

20+ Exclusive PM Tools My Team and I Use Daily

<ul><li>Personalized mentorship demystifying insider secrets to acing PM interviews.</li><li>The secrets to walking into your next PM interview with total confidence, even if you've never actually worked as a project manager before.</li></ul>

 A Branding Blueprint to Make Your Profile Irresistible to Recruiters

<ul><li>You will create a job strategy to highlight only the best jobs that suit you. </li><li>The secrets to creating a PM-specific resume that gets attention.</li><li>How to craft the perfect LinkedIn profile that gets recruiting managers hooked (even without any PM-related experience).</li></ul>

Job Strategy 2 Pager + Resume + Linkedin Updates

<ul><li>You'll receive 12 Months access to our Monthly hiring manager Q&amp;A within the community ($249 value) </li><li>Free Access to the alumni slack channel and your cohorts for life-time support</li></ul>

12 Months Access to Exclusive Monthly Q&A with Hiring Managers

Learn How to Break Into Product Management With Practical Knowledge and a Supportive Community

David Wang (Product Dave)

This cohort is designed for students who are based in Australia and the US West Coast timezones

Lightning Lessons

How to Reach Strong Product-Market Fit