• Senior product leaders seeking to formalize experience-based success with portfolio and monetization strategy, gen AI capabilities, board-facing strategy and multi-product execution
• Mid-Senior product managers product managers looking to shift from reactive execution to strategic product leadership by building business fluency, applying AI with clarity and influencing product direction
• Professionals from product marketing, data and analytics, engineers and consultants aiming to pivot into formal product or strategy roles by gaining end-to-end life cycle knowledge, structured product thinking and an AI-first mindset
• Technical professionals looking to bridge the gap between engineering expertise and strategic product management across the life cycle
• Aspiring product leaders focused on driving growth with data-backed decisions, AI-driven insights and proven frameworks

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Design a strategic product vision and roadmap that aligns with corporate goals and motivates organizational alignment
• Analyze product opportunities using frameworks and AI-supported insights to inform strategic decisions
• Build and deliver monetization and GTM strategies that drive product-led growth
• Apply proven practices in product development, pricing and growth to deliver long-term business value
• Evaluate communication and influence strategies to strengthen stakeholder alignment and decision making

Module 1: Product Vision, Strategy and Leadership

• Crafting product vision and mission
• Product strategy frameworks: Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles and Measures (V2MOM) and the Product Strategy Canvas
• Product manager roles and responsibilities
• Inbound vs. outbound product management (PM vs. PMM)
• Excellence in product management: Skills and knowledge
• Product management in an AI-powered world

Module 2: Opportunity Analysis and Product Discovery

• Defining product opportunities
• Sourcing and identifying product opportunities
• Using the Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD) framework to structure product opportunities
• Assessing market opportunities — the Real-Win-Worth (RWW) model
• Building and presenting an opportunity brief
• Using hypothesis-driven product discovery
• Developing the minimum viable product (MVP)
• Using gen AI for opportunity sourcing, customer insights and market analysis

Module 3: Product Design, User Experience and Agile Development

• Gen AI for persona creation, wireframing, prototyping and usability testing
• User-centric product design principles
• MVP development
• Agile development methodologies: Scrum and Kanban
• User stories, epics and themes
• Writing agile product requirements
• Rapid prototyping and usability testing

Module 4: Product Planning and Roadmapping

• Strategic product roadmapping
• AI application for prioritization and trade-off decisions
• Product portfolio management
• Communication of roadmaps to stakeholders
• Metrics for roadmap success
• Adaptation to market changes

Module 5: Go-To-Market Strategy and Product-Led Growth

• Elements of a GTM plan
• PLG fundamentals
• Building for self-service growth
• Strategies for user activation
• Leveraging AI for personalization and predictive models
• Growth loops and viral mechanics
• Using AI for virality analysis and growth modeling
• GTM metrics and KPIs

Module 6: Product Pricing, Packaging and Monetization

• Pricing models for products
• Packaging and customer segmentation
• SaaS revenue models and monetization
• Metrics for pricing success
• AI-driven analytics for customer lifetime value optimization
• Competitive pricing intelligence
• Experimentation, pricing optimization and AI-powered pricing experiments

Module 7: Managing Product Evolution and Growth

• Product evolution and feature prioritization
• Customer acquisition and development strategies
• Life cycle management and sunsetting
• Growth hacking and experiments
• AI tools for product analytics, growth hacking and life cycle management

Module 8: Communication and Influence Skills for Product Managers

• Evaluate strategies for influencing stakeholders through effective communication
• Identify key concepts related to product communication, influence and stakeholder alignment
• Develop a stakeholder influence strategy using communication frameworks and AI-supported messaging

Mohanbir Sawhney - Associate Dean for Digital Innovation; McCormick Foundation Chair of Technology; Clinical Professor of Marketing; Director of the Center for Research in Technology and Innovation

What is the learning experience?

Your learning experience will consist of frameworks delivered via video lectures, live webinars, real world examples and case studies, application of frameworks through weekly activities, customized assignments and quizzes, discussion boards, and faculty engagement.

What is the program format?

The program consists of 8 modules delivered over 9 weeks online. Learners can expect to dedicate 4-6 hours per week to watching videos, completing assignments and participating in discussions. Modules are opened at the beginning of each week and have quizzes/assessments at the module’s conclusion. Learners may choose to engage with the program module all in one sitting or in smaller segments of time throughout the week. While the modules do not close, access to assignments is closed each week.

Could a learner choose to opt out of some topics?

No. This is an online program in which a topic module is introduced each week, and the learner is expected to watch the video lectures, participate in the live webinars, complete the exercises/activities and take the mastery quiz at the end of each week to progress to the subsequent week’s topic.

Are any of the sessions delivered in real time (live)?

There will be live webinars, led by faculty and/or subject matter experts, delivered during the course of the program via a video conferencing platform. These sessions provide learners with an opportunity to listen and ask questions, and while they are valuable in enhancing the overall experience, attendance is not mandatory. All live sessions are recorded for later viewing.

What methods will be used for grading and evaluations?

Kellogg program leaders will review assignments, discussions and exercises to determine participants’ understanding of the material.

How much time is allocated to complete assignments?

The due date for submitting assignments is typically within 7 days of the module opening, but can be as long as 14 days, depending on the scope of the assignment. However, learners may request deadline extensions to accommodate for business and personal conflicts that may arise during the program timeframe. Reach out to the support team to discuss any challenges you may have in completing assignments.

Can participation in this program be counted as credit toward a degree, either at Kellogg, Northwestern University or another academic institution?

No. Executive Education offers only non-degree programs and each participant receives a certificate of completion at the end of the program. This certificate does not count as credit toward a degree. In addition, at this time, our online programs do not count as credit toward a Kellogg Executive Scholar Certificate.

Does the program offer community engagement for learners?

Yes, participants can create a profile, connect and collaborate with peers, and interact with academic/industry experts such as program leaders and teaching assistants. Live sessions with subject matter experts will be held during the program and all participants are welcome to join in with questions or to discuss assignments.

What are the requirements for accessing the program?

Participants will need the following to access the program:

• Valid email address
• Computing device connected to the internet (Mac/PC/laptop, tablet or smartphone)
• The latest version of your preferred browser to access our learning platform (Chrome and Firefox are preferred for accessing Canvas)
• Microsoft Office and PDF viewer to access content such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts
• Additional software and resources may be required for certain programs – this will be communicated upon registration and/or at the beginning of the program

PLEASE NOTE: Google, Vimeo and YouTube may be utilized in the program delivery

Does the program offer a certificate?

Yes. Participants will receive a digital certificate of completion from Kellogg following a successful conclusion to the program. Since this program is graded as a pass or fail, participants must receive an 80% to pass and obtain the certificate. This digital certificate can be shared with colleagues and posted on LinkedIn. (PLEASE NOTE: We do not provide reports of assessments, or “transcripts,” since this is a non-degree program.)

Who is Emeritus and what is their relationship with Kellogg Executive Education?

Kellogg Executive Education is partnering with Emeritus Institute of Management, an online education provider, to develop and deliver this program. By working with Emeritus, we are able to provide broader access to Executive Education, beyond our on-campus offerings, in a collaborative and engaging format that is consistent with Kellogg’s standard of quality.

Additional questions?

Please contact us by calling 847-467-6018 or email us at execedonline@kellogg.northwestern.edu.