Resources for product managers: Mental Models and Decision Making

Every product manager has a unique way of thinking, approaching situations, and solving complex problems.

These unique ways are usually referred to as mental models.

What is a mental model

Mental models are a set of beliefs, processes, and systems that we consciously or subconsciously use to simplify and understand the world.

A simple way to think of mental models is:

1. We consume information from the world
2. We process that information
3. Finally, we create an output, decision, or action based on the information.

It is during step 2 that people generally apply the mental models they know.

I recently wrote a detailed guide on mental models. I shared a detailed definition and the most commonly used mental models. To write that article, I consumed a lot of resources and videos. And here is a list of the top resources on Mental Models

10 resources to understand everything about Mental Models

1. The Great Mental Models [Book] by Shane Parrish of Farnam Street

2. Thinking Fast and Slow [Book] by Daniel Kahneman

3. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion [Book] by Dr. Robert Cialdini

4. Super Thinking: Upgrade Your Reasoning and Make Better Decisions with Mental Models [Book] by Gabriel Weinberg (DuckDuckGo)

5. Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions (~100 Models Explained) [Article] by Shane Parrish

6. List of top mental models [Article] by James Clear

7. What are mental models? [Article] by Julian Shapiro

8. 9 Mental Models You Can Use to Think Like a Genius [Video] (12 mins) by Farnam Street

9. 30 mental models to add to your thinking toolbox [Video] (7 mins) by Anne-Laure Le Cunff (Ness Labs)

10. Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions  [Video] (75 mins) by George Mack