{"id":19523,"date":"2022-10-26T14:48:52","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T12:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/?p=19523"},"modified":"2022-10-26T15:37:52","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T13:37:52","slug":"product-manager-interview-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/product-management\/product-manager-interview-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"The 11 Top Product Manager Interview Questions, Answered"},"content":{"rendered":"

Any list of product manager interview questions that come up time and time again is bound to feel incomplete, or even slightly inaccurate.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t worry\u2014that’s because the way the PM interview is structured at each particular company can change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The internet is awash with articles and courses on specific techniques to ace interviews at <\/span>FAANG<\/span><\/a> (or now MAANG) companies, particularly for their US offices. However, this article is not intended to copy or improve on the wealth of information already out there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, if you’re looking to become a product manager<\/a>, the goal is to help you start thinking about the interesting challenges awaiting you during an average PM interview, at your average SaaS company.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to skip ahead to a particular section or group of questions, simply use the clickable menu:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Before your product manager interview<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Product theory and practice product manager interview questions<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. General product manager interview questions<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Final thoughts<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Before your product manager interview<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Just before you start practicing your product manager interview questions, it\u2019s important to think about the context of them first.<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s entirely possible to find yourself in a position where the hiring manager has never actually hired a PM before. You may be invited for an interview at a startup or scale-up, where the product function doesn\u2019t exist yet. Think about would you approach those situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Equally important for you, as a candidate, is realizing that the type of questions an interviewer has selected is indicative of the start of product maturity of a company (this is not directly related to a company\u2019s size), as well as a company\u2019s culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Thinking about the wider product context within which these questions are being asked will not just help you perform optimally, but also to get a good insight into the role at the company.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u2764\ufe0f<\/p>\n

    Product theory and practice product manager interview questions<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Let’s start with some questions which involve detail-oriented answers.<\/p>\n

    Yes, these seem quite un-intimidating at first, but rest assured that the interviewer is looking for you to show off your experience and product know-how.<\/p>\n

    1. What is your favorite prioritization framework, and why?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Well, where does this product manager interview question come from? <\/span><\/p>\n

    This is essentially a version of a recurring topic in any product manager interview process: How do you make decisions?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Don’t worry so much about saying “I’m a huge WSJF fan<\/a>” or “I \u2665 JTBD”. Being able to explain your thought process is infinitely more important than including the latest product buzzwords.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The hiring manager is looking for assurance that there is a sound logic embedded in your work process, that you will not simply jump into action without thinking about the consequences of wasting away development time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pro tip: <\/b>Familiarize yourself with, say, the top 10-15 frameworks<\/a> (or see them in action by trying out a tool like Craft.io<\/a>) and reflect upon which of them might be more suitable for the stage that both the company and its product are in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. What has been your biggest success as a product manager so far?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    This is an interesting product manager interview question to be asked if you have never worked as a PM before. Have no fear\u2014anything can be tackled with a bit of preparation!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you haven\u2019t checked it yet, look at our previous article on<\/span> how to piece together a product manager resume<\/span><\/a>, even if you have never held an official PM position before. This is a continuation of that exact same narrative.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pro tip: <\/b>Draft a narrative to approach this question <\/span>before<\/span><\/i> the interview takes place. If you have specific on the job experience, use it and remember to mention how you knew that it was a success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    No experience? Think back to those times when you were the primary decision-maker, operating in a context in which you did not possess nearly as much information as you would have liked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. What has been your biggest failure so far as a product manager?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Yes, there\u2019s most definitely a way of turning a failure into a success. The key point here is to demonstrate (in hindsight) an understanding about why things didn’t go as planned or failed to produce the expected results.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Your level of maturity as a PM then is not the same as it is now. If the company does decide to make you an offer, they know that you bring in the experience of having learned through your own mistakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pro tip: <\/b>Delivered all the features but the <\/span>hockey stick growth curve<\/span><\/a> still failed to materialize? Use that example to illustrate how you have since become a more data-driven product manager<\/strong>. Not to mention a PM that knows the difference between output and outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

    4. How do you know if your product has been successful?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Or, conversely, how do you know if your product has not been a success so far? <\/span><\/p>\n

    This is one of those product manager interview questions that can cause you to stumble.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Do you actually know what you are doing? Do you know in what way you have either been contributing to the company\u2019s bottom line or delivering results in a different way? <\/span><\/p>\n

    To put it simply: So do you know how to do things with a purpose, or are you just trying to look busy?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pro tip:<\/b> the keyword \u201cmetrics\u201d should definitely be a part of your answer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    5. How would you spend your first 90 days as a product manager?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Also known as \u201cif we are just an upstart with very little to offer in the way of onboarding, guidance, support, expertise, mentoring, would you panic?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    This product manager interview question makes perfect sense in an interview when the company wants to hire someone with considerable seniority. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Essentially, they are looking for either a PM with a number of years as an individual contributor, or someone hired to be a future Head of Product.\u00a0<\/span>The decision-makers are looking to see if you know how to work independently. <\/span><\/p>\n

    But be careful: it could<\/em> also be the case that the company is looking for a <\/span>rainmaker<\/span><\/a> to save them from bankruptcy.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pro tip:<\/b> Getting to know a company\u2019s ins and outs is probably the most important task a product manager needs to accomplish during the first 90 days. After you have mentioned this in your reply, ask the interviewer what <\/span>their<\/span><\/i> expectations are for your first 90, 180, and 360 days. That will give you a fair idea of the situation you may be walking into.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    6. How would you decide whether to build this shiny new feature or not?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Just between the two of us\u2014shiny new features and breakthrough genius ideas are a dime a dozen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    But that\u2019s probably not the answer you might want to go with during a product manager interview. Everyone can have extremely relevant flashlights of inspiration, but hiring managers tend to favor those who show qualities of restraint and afterthought.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Pro tip:<\/b> Talk at length on how you would evaluate the match between this proposed shiny feature and the <\/span>product roadmap<\/span><\/a> (including ongoing work), the product and the company\u2019s strategy. Here\u2019s a bit of MBA jargon for you: what would be the <\/span>opportunity cost<\/span><\/a> of both pursuing and of dropping this feature?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    General product manager interview questions<\/span><\/h2>\n

    While the last set were quite specific, you’ll definitely get asked some questions about product management that are purposefully vague.<\/p>\n

    These tend to worry interviewees more due to their open nature, but if you understand what the interviewer is looking for, you’ll be able to face them with no fear.<\/p>\n

    Let’s briefly go through a few of them and how to answer:<\/p>\n

    7. How do you eliminate risk?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The hiring manager might have at least three different things in mind when asking this product manager interview question:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n