Uber Product Manager Interview Guide

You will receive a prompt for the Uber JAM session, which is similar to a take-home interview. It's essential to approach it with careful preparation and a clear understanding of the expectations. Here's a guide on how to navigate this creative exercise.

1. The Uber JAM session is a combination of a presentation and a conversational setting. You'll be given a prompt in advance, and your task is to create a 25 minute pitch for an example project that you would manage. Keep in mind that during the session, there will be a panel of interviewers who will actively engage with you by asking questions and seeking clarifications.
   
2. Take the time to thoroughly prepare your thoughts and structure your presentation. Consider the key points you want to cover and how you will articulate them effectively within the given time frame. Focus on presenting a coherent and compelling narrative that highlights your skills, expertise, and strategic thinking.
   
3. The JAM session can go on longer than 25 minutes because the interview panel will likely have questions throughout your presentation. Consider potential areas of interest or points that might require clarification and prepare thoughtful responses in advance.
   
4. During the session, actively engage with the interview panel by listening attentively to their questions and providing thoughtful answers.

Difference in SPM vs GPM expectations at Uber

The expectations for an SPM and a GPM at Uber vary based on their respective roles and responsibilities within the company. Here are some key differences in expectations between the two roles:

1. As a GPM, you are likely to have a broader scope of responsibility compared to an SPM. For example, GPMs typically oversee multiple product teams and have a significant impact on Uber's overall product strategy and direction. On the other hand, SPMs typically focus on managing specific product features or areas and contribute to the execution of the product roadmap.
   
2. GPMs are expected to be leaders who can inspire and motivate their teams. SPMs, while still expected to demonstrate leadership skills, may have a more hands-on role in managing their immediate product teams.
   
3. GPMs are often involved in shaping Uber's product vision and strategy, collaborating closely with senior leadership and stakeholders. SPMs contribute to the strategic direction by executing on the product vision, translating it into actionable plans, and ensuring successful product delivery.
   
4. GPMs are expected to make critical decisions that impact the entire product organization. SPMs make decisions within their respective feature areas and are responsible for executing those decisions effectively.

Overall, GPMs have a more strategic and leadership-oriented role, while SPMs focus on executing product initiatives and collaborating closely with their immediate teams.

Additional interviews for Uber Group Product Manager role

If you’re interviewing for the GPM role - you can expect a few additional people management interviews. Here's what you can anticipate during the people management interviews:

1. You will need to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you have managed and motivated teams in the past. 
   
2. Uber is interested in your ability to develop and grow talent within your teams. You can expect questions on how you approach team development, mentorship, and coaching. Prepare examples of situations where you managed conflicts within your team.
   
3. You can also provide examples of your experience in setting performance expectations, conducting performance evaluations, and providing constructive feedback.
   
4. You can expect questions that assess your communication style, including your experience presenting complex ideas, managing stakeholders, and gaining buy-in for your product strategies.

When you are preparing for a Uber Data Science interview - we’d recommend the following things to keep in mind:

• Uber is a company that is heavily dependent on data. Learn how to interpret metrics and how they can be linked to one another. This is critical because Uber PMs use internal dashboards and software to make decisions based on data regularly.
• There's a fair chance the interviewer will ask you about some of Uber's and its competitors' latest goods and services, and you'll be asked for your opinions on them. So doing some research and preparing a few points beforehand, would be useful.
• Interviewers like to see your practical approach towards a particular problem. Discuss how you will introduce a product to the market and how you will address any launch issues. Consider if you can re-engage consumers who have abandoned the product and are no longer using it. This is akin to the problem-solving approach required in PM roles at Meta and other tech giants.
• You'll be judged for how you interact with others, how you handle constructive criticism in the workplace, and how you think. Make sure you keep calm and collected, and methodically address any challenges your interviewer might make - it's easy to panic in these circumstances.
• Research the company's mission, values, products and services, and current projects. This will help you understand the company's culture and work expectations, and will enable you to answer questions related to the company's mission and values. Check out Ubers’ values page to prepare better for the interview.

Responsibilities of a Product Manager at Uber

The responsibilities of a Product Manager at Uber across roles can broadly be seen as-

• Partner with UX Research, Operations and Support teams to seek insights on user problems and solve those problems, along with your proposed solutions, across Uber.
• Work with Uber’s regional teams to understand issues on the ground and make those solutions a part of their roadmap. Incorporate their feedback into the product roadmap to develop features tailored to the regional market, such as language support or payment options specific to the region.
• Clearly communicate plans, insights, data and results to a spectrum of audiences including executives, other product teams, and other decision-makers across Uber. Compare this with how Google handles regional adaptations.
• Champion safety solutions by building user-facing products and backend features. For example, you may collaborate with the Safety team to define the requirements, ensure user-friendly design, and oversee the implementation of the feature to enhance safety for both drivers and riders.
• Collect whatever data is vital to advise product direction by taking into consideration the necessary feedback.
• Seek opportunities for new products that align to Uber's global scale and build upon Uber's infrastructure to provide customer value.

It's important to note that the responsibilities may vary depending on the level of seniority, the specific practice area, the specific industry, and the specific project.

Skills and Qualifications needed for Product Managers at Uber

Here are some of the skills and qualifications that may be required for a Product Manager at Uber.

• Showcasing a track record of success in engineering, product management, data analytics, or strategy and operations within a tech company will be instrumental in securing a role at Uber. Highlight your achievements and the impact you've made in previous positions.
• Understanding how ranking and decision systems work, particularly in the context of prioritizing messages in digital marketing, is crucial.
• Familiarize yourself with the principles of experimentation, including designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing actionable insights.
• If you’re in a more senior role, you’re expected to set an example on what a “good implementation” of the Product craft is, for other PMs you work with. 
• This increases with seniority; so for instance as a Group PM or a Director - your work is going to leverage others who report into you more and more, so it’s really important that you be able to distinguish the nuances of individual contributorship vs people management.
• Finally - Uber often hires roles specific to teams. And your loop will often have PMs working in related roles. So make sure you can demonstrate skills specific to the role at hand. For instance - if you’re working on the app, past experience on app development and the nuances therein are very useful to flag upfront. If you’re working on user acquisition, knowledge of the PPC/inorganic marketing space would be good to have. Etc.

Salary Ranges

The salary range for a Product Manager at Uber can vary based on factors such as location, level of experience, and seniority. In general, the salary range for a Product Manager at Uber is typically between $100,000 to $200,000 per year. However, it's important to note that these figures are approximate and can change over time.

Conclusion

The interview process for a Product Manager role at Uber typically includes 3 primary rounds - a phone screening, telephonic interview, and the onsite interview. The first round is to have a quick discussion about your work experiences and the roles you’ve had in the past company. In the telephonic interview round, you can expect to have a screening with a peer or a hiring manager. The final round is an onsite interview where you will face a round unique to Uber - The “Jam” session.

Good luck with your interviews!