The Top 10 Product Manager Interview Questions (And How To Answer Them)

Exponent

14 Mar 202204:56

Summary

TLDRThis video offers insights into the top 10 product management interview questions frequently asked by leading tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. It covers a range of topics, from estimation and strategy to execution, technical challenges, analytical problems, and behavioral questions. The script emphasizes the importance of demonstrating thought processes, being opinionated yet open to feedback, and understanding metrics. It also highlights the significance of product design and sense, as well as the ability to discuss one's favorite product with passion and insight. Viewers are directed to a database of interview questions and resources to prepare for these inquiries effectively.

Takeaways

📊 Estimation Questions: The script emphasizes the importance of demonstrating your thought process in estimation interview questions, rather than providing the exact answer.
🚀 Strategy Questions: These assess your ability to think through complex, large-scale problems and envision company vision and constraints, with a focus on conversation and being opinionated yet open to feedback.
🔍 Execution Questions: These test analytical reasoning by asking you to scope down a problem and show your thought process, including isolating variables and identifying root causes.
💻 Technical Challenges: The script clarifies that technical interview questions are more about working with engineers and understanding technical constraints than actual coding or algorithm solving.
📈 Analytical Problems: It's crucial to understand how to use metrics, align them with company/product/feature goals, and determine specific measurements for success.
🌟 Behavioral Questions: These are conversational and aim to get to know you as a person, requiring honesty, genuineness, and tailoring your responses to the company culture.
🎨 Product Design Questions: They are about creative brainstorming and innovative problem-solving, asking you to think through user pain points and propose exciting solutions.
🛠 Favorite Product Question: This common interview question tests your thoughtfulness about product development and passion for product management, valuing genuine and interesting perspectives.
🔗 Interview Question Database: The script mentions a database of over a thousand interview questions from top-tier tech companies, available at tri-exponent dot com.
📚 Preparation Resources: Links to videos with examples of how to answer these questions are provided in the video description for further preparation.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of estimation interview questions?
-The primary purpose of estimation interview questions is to assess a candidate's ability to break down large, complex problems into simpler solutions and to demonstrate their thought process rather than finding the exact answer.
How does the 'Should Google go into the ride sharing market?' question test a candidate's skills?
-This strategy question tests a candidate's ability to think through complex problems on a large scale, including their ability to decide on a company's vision and consider business and product constraints, with a focus on open conversation and feedback.
What is the key aspect of execution interview questions in a product management interview?
-Execution interview questions focus on a candidate's ability to reason through analytical problems with the interviewer, showcasing their thought process, how they isolate variables, and ask the right questions to get to the root cause of a problem.
Why are technical interview questions important for product managers?
-Technical interview questions are important to assess a candidate's ability to work alongside engineers and operate under technical constraints, rather than testing their coding or algorithm-solving skills.
What is the significance of analytical problems in product management interviews?
-Analytical problems are significant as they test a candidate's understanding of using metrics to align with company, product, or feature goals and to determine the specific measurements that will indicate success.
How do behavioral interview questions differ from other types of questions in a product management interview?
-Behavioral interview questions are more conversational and focus on getting to know the candidate as a person, assessing their honesty, genuineness, and authenticity, as well as how well they fit the company culture.
What does the 'How would you improve the library?' question aim to evaluate in a candidate?
-This product design or product sense question aims to evaluate a candidate's creative brainstorming and innovative problem-solving abilities, particularly their capacity to think through user pain points and propose thoughtful solutions.
Why is the 'Favorite product' question considered important in product management interviews?
-The 'Favorite product' question is important because it tests a candidate's thoughtfulness about product development and their passion for product management, with an emphasis on authenticity and an interesting perspective on the chosen product.
What can candidates find at tri-exponent.com to help prepare for product management interviews?
-Candidates can find a database of over a thousand interview questions recently asked by top-tier tech companies, as well as links to different videos that provide examples of how to answer various interview questions.
How can a candidate best approach the 'Estimate the number of restaurants in San Francisco' question?
-A candidate should approach this question by demonstrating their thought process, breaking down the problem, considering nuances and trade-offs, and showing how they would simplify the complex problem into a manageable solution.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Product Management Interview Questions Overview

This paragraph introduces the video's focus on the most commonly asked product management interview questions at leading tech companies and startups. It covers a range of question types, including estimation, strategy, execution, technical challenges, analytical problems, and behavioral questions. The emphasis is on demonstrating thought processes, understanding business and product constraints, and working collaboratively with engineers. The video aims to prepare viewers for these questions by showcasing the types of inquiries they might face during interviews.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Product Management

Product Management is the process of guiding a product from its inception to its launch and beyond, involving tasks such as market research, product design, and lifecycle management. In the video, it is the central theme as the script discusses various types of interview questions that candidates might face when applying for product management roles at top tech companies.

💡Interview Questions

Interview Questions are the queries posed by interviewers to gauge a candidate's qualifications, thought process, and fit for a position. The video provides an overview of the most commonly asked product management interview questions, which are categorized into different types such as estimation, strategy, execution, technical, analytical, behavioral, product design, and favorite product questions.

💡Estimation Interview Questions

Estimation Interview Questions are designed to test a candidate's ability to simplify complex problems and provide logical, reasoned estimates. An example from the script is estimating the number of restaurants in San Francisco, which is not about arriving at the exact number but demonstrating the thought process and approach to problem-solving.

💡Strategy

Strategy in the context of product management refers to the long-term plan and direction for the growth and success of a product or business. The script mentions a strategy question like 'Should Google go into the ride-sharing market?' which tests a candidate's ability to think through large-scale problems and envision a company's vision and constraints.

💡Execution

Execution in the video refers to the ability to reason through analytical problems and work towards solutions. It is tested through interview questions where the candidate must scope down a problem and ask the right questions to get to the root cause, such as addressing a 5% drop in Facebook News Feed usage.

💡Technical Challenge

Technical Challenge is a concept that relates to a candidate's capability to work with engineers and operate under technical constraints. The script explains that while product managers may not be expected to code or solve algorithmic problems, they should be able to understand and navigate technical issues that arise during product development.

💡Analytics

Analytics is the systematic computation, analysis, and interpretation of data to aid decision-making. In the script, it is discussed in the context of measuring success for Facebook Events, where candidates are expected to understand metrics and how they align with the company's goals and product features.

💡Behavioral Interview Questions

Behavioral Interview Questions are designed to assess a candidate's past experiences and behaviors to predict future performance. The script lists questions like 'Tell me about yourself' and 'Why do you want to work at this company?' as examples, emphasizing the importance of being genuine and authentic in responses.

💡Product Design

Product Design refers to the creative process of conceiving and defining a product's features and user interfaces. The video mentions product design questions that prompt candidates to brainstorm innovative solutions, such as improving a library or redesigning the airport experience.

💡Product Sense

Product Sense is the ability to understand user needs, market trends, and product dynamics to make informed decisions about product development. The script highlights product sense interview questions that test a candidate's creative brainstorming and problem-solving skills in the context of product innovation.

💡Favorite Product Question

The Favorite Product Question is a common interview prompt used to assess a candidate's passion for product management and their ability to think critically about product development. The script notes that it's not the chosen product that matters but the candidate's genuine interest, authenticity, and unique perspective on the product.

Highlights

Introduction to commonly asked product management interview questions at top tech companies.

Explanation of estimation interview questions and the importance of demonstrating thought process rather than getting the exact answer.

Discussion on strategy questions that assess large-scale problem-solving and company vision.

Importance of being opinionated yet open to feedback during strategy interviews.

Execution interview questions that test analytical reasoning and problem-solving with the interviewer.

The significance of showing thought process in execution questions, not just finding the right solution.

Technical interview questions that evaluate working alongside engineers and understanding technical constraints.

Analytical problems that focus on using metrics to measure success, such as for Facebook Events.

The necessity to consider company goals and specific measurements when discussing metrics.

Behavioral interview questions that aim to get to know the candidate on a personal level.

Advice on being honest, genuine, and authentic in behavioral questions tailored to the company.

Product design or product sense interview questions that encourage creative brainstorming.

The role of these questions in assessing the candidate's ability to innovate and solve user pain points.

The importance of the favorite product question in demonstrating passion for product management.

Emphasis on being genuine and having an interesting perspective on the chosen product.

Promotion of a database of over a thousand interview questions from top-tier tech companies.

Links to videos with examples of how to answer the discussed interview questions provided in the video description.