Product Manager Interview Guide

After your initial application and if your resume is shortlisted, the phone screen is the first step in the PM interview process. 

You face two phone screens typically—one, an introductory call with a recruiter which focuses on some resume-related and behavioral questions, and second, 1 to 2 phone interviews (roughly 30 mins each) with a current Product Manager or the Hiring Manager which include a mix of behavioral, culture-fit, and PM-related (product sense, estimation, and analytical) questions to assess your suitability for the role. 

Once you pass the initial recruiter screening and preliminary technical interview, you'll be invited for an on-site interview. While you will typically be interviewed by current Product Managers, even engineers may be involved in the process.

The on-site interview day can be quite intense, typically consisting of 4 to 7 back-to-back interviews, each lasting around 45 minutes with a short 15-minute break in between. These interviews cover a wide range of topics to assess your skills, including product sense, craft and execution, estimation, strategy, and leadership.

In addition to the technical aspects, there's usually a separate behavioral view. This part evaluates whether you're a cultural fit for the company. 

After the on-site interviews, you can expect to hear back within a week or two.

• Analytical Questions: In this round, you can expect a set of questions that evaluate your analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. This is crucial for assessing your ability to handle complex scenarios and make data-driven decisions. Some interviews may include a case study where you'll be presented with a real or hypothetical business problem. You'll need to analyze the situation, identify key issues, and propose a structured solution. Your approach to breaking down the problem and your ability to prioritize and strategize will be scrutinized.
• Estimation Questions: Estimation questions are typically open-ended and could relate to market sizing, revenue projections, or resource allocation. The goal is to assess your ability to make reasonable approximations based on limited information and logic.
• Product Sense: This interview round aims to evaluate your ability to think strategically, understand user needs, and make informed product decisions. You might be presented with a real or hypothetical product or feature and asked to develop a launch strategy for it. This would involve how you would create a product roadmap, prioritizing features, and align product development with the company's goals.
• Leadership and Behavioural: Here, the focus is on assessing your ability to handle various situations and your leadership skills. It's not just about listening skills; it's about demonstrating them. Companies want to see if they can thrive under pressure, and influence without formal authority, and manage stakeholder expectations effectively. If you encounter a scenario you haven't experienced, avoid saying, "I haven't done that yet." Instead, discuss how you would approach it in the future, showcasing your problem-solving and adaptability. Be prepared to share examples of how you've demonstrated leadership and teamwork in your previous experiences

In most Product Manager interviews, you will rarely face technical questions, especially any overly technical ones—unless you're specifically applying for a Technical Product Manager role. Generally, in most PM interviews, the focus is on understanding how well you can collaborate with engineers and your familiarity with the company's tech stack. 

So, interviewers might ask questions about specific X methodologies and your opinion on them. Or they might seek to assess your communication skills and how effectively you bridge the gap between technical complexities and the understanding of non-technical teams.

Interview Questions

• Estimate the number of smartphone users in India in the next five years and explain your methodology.
• How would you analyse user data to identify opportunities for improving a social media platform's engagement?
• Can you describe a product or feature idea that you believe would be a game-changer in the e-commerce industry?
• Estimate the potential market size for a new fitness tracking device and outline your approach to calculating it.
• How many flights take off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on an average day?
• Estimate the total number of YouTube videos watched worldwide in a week.
• If you were tasked with assessing the environmental impact of a major metropolitan area, how would you go about it?
• Talk about how you overcame product failures/challenges or poor feedback.
• Tell me about a time you had to influence someone.
• Tell me about a mistake you made and how you handled it.
• One executive says that Feature A is more important, and another executive says Feature B is more important. How do you choose which one to implement?
• Calculate the total revenue generated by a popular online shopping platform during a major sales event.
• Suppose you need to determine the number of active Instagram users in a specific country. What steps would you take to estimate this figure?
• Explain the approach you would use to assess the causes of a sudden drop in a mobile app's user engagement metrics.
• How many windows are in New York City?
• How many iPads are sold in the USA every year?
• How much money is spent in the USA per year on gas?
• How would you go about finding out the number of red cars in China?
• How would you explain Product Management to a 5-year-old?
• What aspects of Product Management do you find the least interesting?

Here are some tips to help you ace the PM interview:

• Understand the company you're interviewing with. Learn about their office culture and core values—this will help you tailor your answers to align with what they're looking for in a candidate. 
• Next, it's perfectly fine to pause and gather your thoughts, rather than hastily delivering a subpar answer. Remember, a well-thought-out response is far more valuable than a rushed one that you'll regret later.
• Work on your problem-solving skills; practice answering common PM interview questions and learn the step-by-step methods for tackling them. There are plenty of online resources with practice problems to help you out. Some PM interviews might throw coding questions at you. While you won't be expected to write production-ready code, understanding algorithms and practising on a whiteboard can help you think logically.
• Next, and most importantly, practise a LOT. In fact, partner with peers or experienced PM interviewers who can give you a feel for the kind of questions you'll be asked and how to structure your answers effectively. This will also help you review your past product management projects and be ready to discuss your experiences, the key lessons you've learned, etc.
• Lastly, remember, the interview is a two-way street. Have at least three thoughtful questions to ask at the end. This shows your genuine interest in the role and the company.