Cracking the

PM Interview
Gayle Laakmann McDowell
Author, Cracking the PM
Interview
Hi! I’m Gayle Laakmann McDowell
(CS) (MBA)

<dev> </dev>

Acquisition Interview Coaching Hiring Consultant /

Author Interview Training
Yes! Slides are online!
● go.gayle.com/pmprepslides

gayle@gayle.com
subject: PMprep
The many names of a PM
● Product Manager
● Associate Product Manager
○ Typically new grad
○ Rotation, training
● Project Manager
● Program Manager
What does a PM do?
● Manage the product, not the people
● Build a great product for the users
○ Who are the users?
○ What are the features?
○ When will we launch?
○ How do we launch?
TODAY
● The Perfect PM
● Behavioral Questions
● Product Design Questions
● And then a little about…
○ Estimation Questions
○ Case & Misc. Questions
The “Perfect” PM
 Technical

Leadership
The Perfect PM
Business &
Execution
Product

Industry
------ the ------
Perfect PM
------ is a ------
MYTH
What do you have? What do you need?

What do I assume?
Behavioral Questions
The “Good Enough” Pitch
● Quick walk through
● Demonstrations of
success
● Prompt the interviewer
● Hobbies
The Great Pitch
● Tells an [engaging] story
● Sends a message. Who are you, really?
Addresses
● Great
The Pitchyour “stereotype”
Who are you? What have you done?
Developing Your Stories: Strategy 1:

Job 1 Job 2
Leadership

Successes

Challenges

Mistakes

Conflicts
Developing Your Stories: Strategy 2
STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:

● Data driven ● Not detail oriented

● Risk taking
● Bluntness
● Thoroughness
● Empathy ● Sensitivity
● Grit ● Impatient
Goals of Your Answer

WHAT HOW
you say + you say it
Your Response Should:
● Answer the Question
● Deliver a Positive Message
● Be Well Structured
Well-Structured Responses
● State the “Nugget” First
● Situation, Action, Response
Nugget First

Q: What accomplishment are you

most proud of?
Structure 1:
NuggetA:First
I’m most proud of program
I set up to …
S.A.R.
Nugget + ...
S What was the issue?

A What did you do about it?

R What was the impact?

What’s the message?

3 Big Mistakes
● Too little action
● No message
● “We” instead of “I”
Diagram Your Stories
Story 1 Story 2
NUGGET

SITUATION

ACTION
What & Why & How
RESULT

THE MESSAGE

DO DIFFERENTLY
What about the ● Mistakes
bad stuff? ● Weaknesses
● Failures
-- don’t --
sugarcoat
--- the ---
bad stuff
What I’m Looking For

▶ If you’ll admit to bad stuff

What I’m looking
▶ If you’ve for
really failed
▶ How you respond to bad things
These stories can
make you look
--- BETTER ---
Looking Good Through Bad Stuff

▶ Be REAL
Weaknesses, Failures & Mistakes
▶ Be COMPELLING
▶ Be CHANGED
The best candidates connect
If you forget everything else...
▶ Know who you are
■ (and who we think you are)

If▶ Focus
you on the
forget user
everything…
▶ Structure your responses
Product Design
 How would you design an
alarm clock for the blind?

What’s your favorite app? Why?

Pick a Google product.

How would you improve it?
What I’m Looking For
● Communication
● User Empathy
● Creativity
● Judgement
● Product Insight
Designing a
Product
1
How to Tackle
1. Ask questions Use the whiteboard!
2. Provide a structure

3. Identify users & customers

4. Discuss use cases, motivations, goals

5. Discuss weak points of existing solutions

6. DESIGN

7. Wrap up
don’t forget the user
How would you design a
bookcase for children?
Improving a
Product
2
How to Tackle
Use the whiteboard!
1. Ask questions

2. What is the goal of the product?

3. What problems does it have?

■ Consider: user problem vs. business problem

4. Solve!

5. [If applicable] How would you validate this solution?

don’t forget the user
How would you improve
your school’s course
selection system?
Favorite
Products
3
 What’s your ● Mobile App
Website
favorite __?
●
● Physical Product
Never, ever walk into a PM interview
without prepping these! ● Company Product
How to Tackle
1. What problem does product solve?

2. What makes it neat?

3. How is it better than alternatives?

4. [If applicable] How would you improve it?

show me insight.
 not all products
are created equal
Know:
● Why do you love it? ● Who’s the competition?
● What are the alternative
● Who are the users?
products/solutions?
● Why do they love it? ● What issues are there?

How would you improve it?

Prepare
● Select products
○ Website, mobile app, physical product, company product
● Key metrics
○ User engagement, referrals, most important features, costs, etc
● Analyze products
○ Business priorities
○ Strengths, weaknesses, competitors
○ Why have they made the “bad decisions”?
○ Why do YOU love it?
Tips & Tricks
● Have an opinion
○ You are a PM, not a consultant
● Don’t excuse stuff with “need more research”
○ You are a PM, not a consultant
● Show insight
● Bias toward user over $$ **
● Be open about tradeoffs

** Unless you have reason to do otherwise

Estimation Questions
How much money does Gmail
make in a year?

How many airplanes land

in a day?

How many golf balls can fit

in a bus?
What We’re Looking For
● Smarts
● Ballparking Skill
● Comfort with Numbers

It’s not at all about the final answer

How to Tackle
1. Ask questions to resolve ambiguity
2. Outline / Structure Your Approach
3. Break down the components
4. Sanity Check
How to■Tackle
Do your numbers make sense?
1. Asking Questions
● Define the problem
● Ask questions
How to Tackle
● LOOK for ambiguity
● Make assumptions explicit
2. Outline/Structure Your Approach
● Be aware of other approaches
● Consider alternate sources
How to Tackle
3. Break Down Components
● Assume numbers when necessary
● State assumptions explicitly
● Round numbers to make your math easier
● Move along quickly!
How to Tackle
4. Sanity Check
● Do your numbers make sense?
● What if this number were accurate?

How to Tackle
How much money does
Gmail make in a year?
1. Ask Questions
▶ Just in the US? Or Worldwide?
▶ Profit or revenue?
▶ Past
Step year? Or average
1: Ambiguous over history?
Information
▶ Gmail only? Or include Google Apps?
2. Structure Your Approach
1. Estimate # of Gmail users
2. Estimate annual clicks
○ Top clicks
Step 2: Side
○
Outline
clicks
Your Approach
3. Estimate $ per click
○ Top clicks
○ Side clicks
3. Solve
Estimate # of Gmail users in the US
1. Assume 300 million people in the US.
■ Exclude 0 - 12 years old and 65 - 75 years old
■ → ~ 200 million
Step 3: Break
2. Assume down
80% of people use components
email
■ But 50% only use their work email acct
3. Assume 80% use a “major” email provider
■ Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL, etc.
… and so on …
4. Sanity Check
▶ Suppose you get US rev. = $5 billion.
▶ No, because…
Step ■4:Google’s
Sanityannual
Checkrevenue is ~$30 billion
■ $16 / US citizen (not just gmail users)
 ● Getting lost in
minor details
3 Big Mistakes ● Forgetting other
sources
● Crazy assumptions
How many airplanes are in
the air right now?
 Case &
Miscellaneous Questions
 How would you launch
Amazon in Turkey?

How would you price

a new e-book reader?

User signs up drop after launching

new profiles. What would you do?
Lots of Types
● Problem solving ● Pricing
○ Acquisition rates dropped. ○ How would you price X?
Why? ● Launching
● Strategy ○ How would you launch X in
○ Should we do X or Y? country Y?
● Marketing ● Brainstorming
○ How would you market X to ○ Name as many things you
Y? could do with X
What Interviewers Are Looking For
● Structure a Problem
● Shows Strong Instincts
● Drive, Not Ride
● About the process, not the conclusion
use your gut instincts.
Generic Structure
1. Understand/define the ● Drive the discussion
problem
● Empathize with the
2. Structure
3. Solve user
a. Use Instincts ● Show insight
b. Make reasonable
assumptions
Some Useful Frameworks
● Customer Purchase not a test of
Decision Making Process
● Marketing Mix (4 Ps) frameworks!
● SWOT Analysis
● Five Cs
● Porter’s 5 Forces
Useful Metrics
▶ User Acquisition
■ #, growth, active users, etc
▶ Activity
■ What are people doing?
Useful
▶ MoneyMetrics & Knowledge
■ Customer acquisition costs
■ Revenue
■ $ growth
Launching
1
How to Tackle
1. Product & business Use the whiteboard!

2. Launch goals

3. Launch design

■ Invitation, public rollout, beta, limited market, etc

4. Implementation -- pre, during, post launch

Launch Discussion Points
● Target market
● User types/components
● MVP
● Distribution
● Partnerships
● Rollout
● Buzz
● Risk
If you forget everything else...
focus on the user
I could write a
whole book on
this!
Yes! Slides are online!
● go.gayle.com/pmprepslides

gayle@gayle.com
subject: PMprep
Other Resources
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Gayle.com

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