Web Technologies
for Product Managers

Become more technically confident with engineers

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4 week intensive program
New dates for 2025 will be announced soon. Request a syllabus for more info.

As a manager…

Quotation mark
You sometimes have no idea what your engineering team are talking about in stand-ups but feel embarrassed to ask questions so stay silent and hope that whatever they were talking about doesn’t impact the product further down the line.
You struggle to understand the difference between HTML, CSS, Javascript, Ruby on Rails and other coding languages. It’s bewildering and confusing and you’re often considered the ‘technical person’ in your company when speaking to stakeholders.
You’d like to be more confident about the basic processes involved in web development so you can relay some of the challenges back to the wider business when projects take longer than they would like.
You’re unsure which languages are backend and which are front end and would love someone to explain the differences in an easy to understand way. What is the true difference between backend and front end development and what does integration testing mean?

You hear the words ‘pull request’ and ‘continuous integration’ and nod along without fully understanding what on earth your engineering team are talking about.

You don’t want to learn how to code yourself; you’d just like to have an overview of the basic differences between the languages so you can understand some of the conversations and trade offs involved in development work.

Sound familiar? No worries.

Getting to grips with technical concepts doesn’t mean becoming an engineer.
It’s possible to learn about code, not how to code.

Web technologies explained
for managers

As a product manager or non-technical professional, you’re not expected to be able to write code yourself but you are expected to have an understanding of technology. That puts you in a tricky position where the rest of the business refers to you as the ‘techie’ or the IT person but your engineers can sometimes treat you like a non-technical outsider.

Make sense of APIs, databases and more

You will have a deeper understanding of the whole end to end process, including continuous integration tools and the process of deployment so that you understand terms like jenkins, cucumber, Github, automated testing, BDD and TDD.

Speak with confidence

Get the confidence to speak with your stakeholders about web development technologies in a fluid and concise way so that they understand why projects may take longer than expected. Your job is to have a broad understanding of technology and distill that into easy to understand nuggets of information.We’ll teach you how to do it.

Learn about code, not how to become a programmer

We will help you to understand the bewildering world of HTML, CSS, Javascript, Ruby on Rails and other web development technologies so that you understand the fundamentals involved in bringing your product ideas to life.

Understand the elements of a full stack

You will get a broad understanding of web development fundamentals and coding languages so that you can engage with your engineering team with more confidence. You won’t be an engineer; you’ll be a product manager who knows more about technology.

Want to find out more?

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Web Technologies Program

What you’ll learn

Our 4 week intensive program is designed to help you understand the full stack so that you can speak to your stakeholders and engineering team with more confidence. You won’t be an engineer; you’ll be a manager with a deeper understanding of web technologies.

Web fundamentals
We explore the nature of the web and the technologies that drive our modern web experiences. We’ll start with the basics and lay the foundations for the rest of the program.
Understand servers and clients
What’s a server? What’s a client? How does a server ‘serve’ content to clients and why do you hear engineers talk about server side vs. client side technologies? You’ll find out.
Front end coding languages
Web development is broadly categorised into front end and backend. We’ll be deep diving into front end technologies and you will create your first interactive web pages.
Backend coding languages
After exploring front end web development we’ll delve into the bewildering world of back end coding languages. We’ll look at the most common patterns across all the key languages including Ruby on Rails, Python, Java and more. You’ll understand the role they play in creating a fully functioning web application.
Databases
Databases are used to store data in web applications and most of the world’s websites will use some databases to store and retrieve data. You will build your own SQL queries to retrieve the data you need to make better product decisions.
APIs
APIs provide a way for 2 systems to communicate with each other. You’ll find out what the anatomy of an API is, why they are powerful for product managers to harness and what the most useful aspects of APIs to learn are.
System architecture
As product managers, we often work closely with architects but never fully understand what makes good architecture in web applications. You’ll find out some of the most important principles and how you can consider and apply some of these principles in your product decision making and design strategy.
Git hub and version control
What’s a pull request? What’s a branching strategy? Why do you hear the engineering team talk about git hub? You’ll find out as we delve into the world of git hub and get a deeper understanding of version control.
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Questions? Check out our FAQs for more information.

Program dates and information

The Web Technologies program is taught live by Department of Product program instructors.

New dates for 2025 TBC

In addition to the program, all participants also get a full 1 year subscription to the Department of Product members area with exercises, projects and resources to put into practice what you learn.

 

  • Live online
  • Price: $949 USD
  • Instructor: Chase Nielson, Senior PM and ex-software engineer, Atlassian
ENROLL NOW

New dates for 2025 will be announced shortly. On-demand access available.

Program instructors

Department of Product instructors are real-world Product Managers and technology professionals from top product companies. With a blend of experience working for both larger organisations and smaller startups, you’ll learn from this real, hands on experience of product management.
Abhishek instructor

Abhishek Bhardwaj

Lead Product Manager, Square

Square logo
Chase instructor

Chase Nielson

Technical Product Manager, Atlassian


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Our program instructors have worked at the following companies:

For product people who love to learn

Our approach

Live, friendly class environment

All our programs include live classes taught by our program instructors which give you the chance to ask questions, clarify problems and clearly understand the principles you're being taught throughout the programs. If you miss a class, you can catch up online later in your dashboard.

A personalised experienced

We work with you to help set your goals at the start of our programs and understand what you personally would like to get out of your time with us. We're on hand throughout to ensure you achieve your goals you set and can apply the concepts you've learned in your role.

Skills, not certificates

We believe certificates are a little outdated so we don't place too much emphasis on them. Instead, we focus on creating the best learning materials to help you to acquire practical new skills you can put to use in the real world to achieve outcomes for your product.

Focused on actions and outcomes

Our programs are not for product people who want to sit back and passively listen to content; this is about being actively engaged. We encourage our students to take specific steps and implement them into your daily routine so that you apply what you learn.

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Need more info?
Get a syllabus for more information.

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Program eligibility

Before taking part in Department of Product programs please check the requirements below to make sure you can get the most out of the program. Any questions? Just drop us a line and we’ll get back to you. Thanks!
Eligibility
  1. You are a product manager or professional in full time employment, self-employed or working on a contract basis.
  2. You have experience working as a product manager or professional
  3. You have a strong desire and commitment to learning new skills.
  4. You are over the age of 18
  5. You have access to a high speed internet connection which can be used to stream live classes
  6. You have access to a location you are comfortable learning remotely from
Fees

$949 USD for Web Technologies Program

Includes full access to the program materials. No hidden extra costs.

Price includes:

  • 4 weeks of live classes from our product instructors (5 classes in total)
  • 1 year subscription to the Department of Product members area
  • Access to all learning materials
  • Access to the Department of Product resource library

Members only access

Your private dashboard, with access to Department of Product live classes, exercises and hands on projects.
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What previous participants say

"I did the General Assembly course on Product Management, but it didn't cover the technical side of product management and I didn't really know where to start.

The program gave me a broad overview of the key technologies used in building digital products from a product management perspective. I particularly liked the practical exercises with front end technologies (HTML, CSS and Javascript), as well as learning about APIs. I’d definitely recommend it to other product managers who want to learn more about the technical side of product management."

Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton, Product Manager 
Web Technologies Program

"I really enjoyed the Web Technologies program. You've done an excellent job of distilling the information that is most important to product managers into a very digestible format. I've already begun applying some of the resources you provided and they've been very helpful."


Kevin Grommersch, Product Manager 
Web Technologies Program

“I was delighted to discover The Department of Product’s Web Tech course, and enjoyed it so much that I also completed the Product Mastery course as well!

Both courses are outstanding, and focused on: a) what you critically need to know as a PM, so your time is well spent and b) implications of product strategy and technology (i.e. great module on APIs, both the ‘why’ and ‘how’). These courses are a MUST for any PM, at any stage of their career.”

Sreten
Sreten John Gajic, Head of Product
Web Technologies and Product Mastery Programs

“As someone who’s been working in product management for just under 2 years, I was initially worried that the content of the course would be a bit too introductory to me.

I liked how well structured the course was. Every topic built upon the previous topics, which made it very easy to follow and understand. It was also really great that all the material was available at any given time for self-learning/review.
I would highly recommend the program to those interested in product management, specifically with web technologies. The course covers a lot of ground and the attention-to-detail & experience that Jason & Richard provide are second to none.”

Matt Tse
Matt Tse, Product Manager, Atlassian 
Web Technologies Program

"After a friend (Director of Product) kindly listened to my deep insecurities around engineering + tech, she nudged me toward Department of Product Web Technologies. Jason and Richard make the content accessible by making it conversational. They share tons of practical insights throughout the course that I was able to flex as a PM immediately.

If you are uncertain about APIs, Databases, Javascript or any other web technology, but you have an inkling you should know more about as a PM, this is for you. The confidence that comes from this tactical course makes it worth the investment."

kathleen cunningham
Kathleen Fred Cunningham 
Web Technologies Program

"This is one of the best online courses I've taken, and I would recommend this course to any product manager who wants to dramatically increase their understanding of web technologies in a short amount of time." 

connor
Connor, Product Manager  
Web Technologies and Product Mastery Program

"I wanted to say thanks. You have an outstanding program in both the Product Mastery and Web Technologies. I was skeptical at first because there are so many programs out there offering very basic stuff you can find in a book. But I'm impressed with your level of content and real world experiences."

Phil, Senior Product Manager 
Web Technologies and Product Mastery Programs

"I wanted to thank you guys for a job well done. I had a chance to have a chat with two engineers this past weekend and I totally understood and contributed to the conversation."

Jason Ludvig, Product Manager 

Web Technologies Program

"Yesterday, I received a job offer for a product management position here in San Francisco, and I couldn't have done it without you guys. Getting familiar with the back-end stuff especially helped me a lot during the interview."

Stefan

Stefan Dunjic, Product Manager
Web Technologies Program

What people are saying

Frequently asked questions

What can I expect to accomplish by the end of this program?
By the end of this program you will:

  • Be able to build basic web pages using HTML, CSS and jQuery
  • Understand the full stack, including your own product's technology stack
  • Have working knowledge of GitHub
  • Have a deeper understanding of APIs; what they are, how they work and why they are important to your business
  • Be able to structure your own SQL queries to pull data from databases
  • Have an understanding of the differences between TDD, BDD and automation testing tools
  • Feel more confident speaking to both your engineering team and business stakeholders
  • Learn how to distill complex technologies into easily digestible smaller chunks and retrieve the information for access later
How much does it cost?

$949 USD. This includes access to all learning materials, 1 year access to the Department of Product resource library and exclusive supporting material from industry leading product leaders. 

Do I need any prior working knowledge?
We would expect you to be a product manager or business professional working in the technology industry. This program is designed for product managers who want to learn about the fundamentals involved in the web development process. We wouldn’t expect you to have any prior coding knowledge or skills. If you do and you’d like a refresh, that’s great. If not, don’t worry.
How will I learn the skills outlined in the program?

Our programs are taught by product managers. Our approach is to teach concepts through tangible real examples. You will then be guided on how to implement these into your role as a product manager. This isn’t a program where you sit back, watch a few videos and get a certificate at the end. Instead we encourage you to apply the principles learned to your role through real world applications.

I'm not a Product Manager. Can I still do this program?

Not a product manager? No worries! Our materials are suitable for business professionals too. Project managers, business analysts, program managers, product marketing managers and senior execs will also benefit from a deeper understanding of web technologies.

Will I be an engineer after this?

No. You’ll be knowledgeable about different coding languages, you’ll know how to write basic programs and web pages and you’ll have a deeper understanding of the principles behind web development, but you will by no means be an engineer. This is not for product managers who want to transition from product management into engineering. This is for managers who want to become more confident with the technical aspects of product development and working with engineers.

I’ve tried learning online before. What’s different about this?

This is not just a series of videos and a few worksheets. Our programs are taught live by real product managers. We mix live classes with an emphasis on real world application and recall so that the skills we teach are learned and applied by our students.

What if I’m new to the area of product development?
No worries. This program is designed for managers of all levels. The skills we teach are just as applicable to someone with 1 year’s experience as someone who has been in the industry for 10 years +.
Do I need technical skills?
No. You’re not expected to know how to code. If you do, great. But this program is designed to teach you about web technologies and the end to end development process, not how to become an engineer.
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