Have you been part of a professional association? Several exist that innovators should know about. Professional organizations provide knowledge, an opportunity to network, a place to get answers to questions, and general guidance for career growth. They also serve the purpose of having a safe place to grumble with sympathetic people who have “been there and done that” before. I have been a member of several professional organizations and three stand out as having contributed most to my knowledge as a product manager and innovator: first the Project Management Institute, then Product Development and Management Association, and most recently, the Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM). AIPMM provides value to product manager, marketing managers, and innovators. To learn more about the association, I interviewed the president, Therese Padilla.
