Master the PM Interview

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productcharles.com nomadcharles.com
Hi. I’m Product Charles
Places I’ve Taught People I’ve Coached
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got
to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means
saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are.
You have to pick carefully.”
–Steve Jobs
Be relevant
 1 Day, 3 Sessions
1. Master the PM Interview
2. Introduction to Product Management
3. 1-on-1 Coaching
 1. Master the PM Interview
• “What’s your favorite product?”
• “How do you design x for x?”
• “How many golf balls can you fit in a bathroom?”
 Cornerstone on Demand
• HR ro Walgreens, USC, Hyatt, Xerox
• 28 million users ,191 countries
• Fortune’s one of the best workplaces
“What’s your favorite product?”
 Why?
• Product instinct?
• Structured thinking?
• Creativity?
Always start with the problem
 What’s your favorite product?
1. Problem
2. Solution
3. -
4. -
5. -
 What’s your favorite product?
1. I don’t know where to eat
2. Reviews at my finger tips
3. -
4. -
5. -
“What’s your favorite product?”
“How would you improve it?”
 What’s your favorite product?
1. Problem
2. Solution
3. Improvements
4. Trade-Offs
5. Wild Ideas
 Example Answer - Yelp
1. I don’t know where to eat
2. Reviews at my finger tips
3. Recommendation system
4. Low value for most users
5. Spin out a dating app
 Tips on how to pick a product
1. Widely known
2. Deep understanding of problem
3. Easy to generate feature ideas
What’s your favorite product?
STRUCTURE STEPS
1. Set timer for 5 minutes
GROUPS OF 2 2. Brainstorm 1 product, 1
improvement, 1 wild idea
3. Set timer for 10 minutes
4. Interview your partner
15 MINUTES
5. Switch partners
What’s your favorite product?
STRUCTURE STEPS
1. Set timer for 10 minutes
GROUPS OF 2 2. Interview your partner
3. Switch partners
10 MINUTES
Don’t get “feature-itis”
 Prep for these Products
• eCommerce App
• Music App
• Messaging App
• Transportation App
Sleep on it
“How would you design a photo
sharing app?”
 Why?
• Product instinct?
• Structured thinking?
• Creativity?
• Empathy?
 What’s your favorite product?
1. Problem
2. Solution
3. Improvements
4. Trade-Offs
5. Wild Ideas
 What’s your favorite product?
1. Problem
2. Solution
3. Improvements
4. Trade-Offs
5. Wild Ideas
Dig Deeper with Personas
“How would you design a photo
sharing app?”
 Example Answer from
“Master the Product Manager Interview”
Online Course
“Design an alarm clock for blind people”
STRUCTURE STEPS
GROUPS OF 2 1. Set timer for 10 minutes
2. Interview your partner
3. Give feedback
10 MINUTES 4. Switch partners
“Design a calculator for kids”
STRUCTURE STEPS
GROUPS OF 2 1. Interview your partner
2. Give feedback
10 MINUTES
“How many golf balls can you fit
in a bathroom?”
 Why?
• Analytical?
• Structured thinking?
• Comfortable with numbers?
 How many golf balls can you fit?
1. Clarification
2. Estimation
3. Optimization
 1. Clarification
“How much $ does Facebook make in
advertising every year?”
• Profit or revenue?
• Does it include current year?
• US market or worldwide?
• Web or mobile apps?
• Ok to lead with assumptions
 2. Estimation
“How much $ does Facebook make in
advertising every year?”
• How many people live in the US?
• What % has Facebook app installed?
• How much money a typical mobile ad
cost (cost per click, cost per
impression)?
• Clickthru rate?
Process > Numbers
Write formula on white board
 3. Optimization
Edge cases
• Total $ of FB mobile ads - video
inventory?
• Total # of dogs - dogs in animal
shelters?
• Total # of cars - unsold cars in a
factory lot?
“How many golf balls can you fit
in a bathroom?”
 Example Answer from
“Master the Product Manager Interview”
Online Course
“How many tennis balls can fit in a school bus?”
STRUCTURE STEPS
GROUPS OF 2 1.Set timer for 10 minutes
2.Interview your partner
3. Give feedback
10 MINUTES 4. Switch partners
“How much money does Google make
in ads every year?”
STRUCTURE STEPS
GROUPS OF 2 1.Set timer for 10 minutes
2.Interview your partner
3. Give feedback
10 MINUTES
Common Numbers to Memorize
US Population: 300 million

Average People per House-hold: 3

# of Households in the US: 100 million

Average Life Expectancy in US: 80 years
Average Life Expectancy in the World: 65 years
World Population: 7 Billion

Population in Europe: 700 million

Population in Asia: 4 billion

Hours in a Year: 9000

Minutes in a Year: 500,000

# of cubic inches in a cubic foot: 1728
Pro Tips
Drive the Interview
Lights, Bandwidth, Whiteboard
Practice with Mock Environments
 Extra Practice
• Questions: Glassdoor.com
• Book: Cracking the PM Interview
• Online Course: Mastering the Product Manager Interview
• 1-on-1 Coaching
Master the PM Interview
[email protected]