Simplest Approach to PM Interview Questions

I've conducted hundreds of PM interviews at Google and have also been in a candidate's shoes. The hard truth is that PM interviews by design aren't hard. There aren't puzzles. No algorithms. No designs to draw.

Yet it's often a struggle.

I've seen candidates blanking out when it comes to offering creative solutions. Estimating without making reasonable assumption. Getting lost in details.

The hardest part is when candidates try to force-fit some heavy framework they've read about. Even a minor twist presented by the interviewer or some follow-up questions can make the entire approach fall flat.

Over the years, I've written multiple blogs to help simplify how to answer PM interviews questions. Today I want to take step further and share a minimalist structure that can be used in all PM questions.

In my early testing with PM friends and candidates, I've been told it's quite helpful. Try if it makes your life a bit simpler :) If not for anything else, it can be your fallback option.

Universal structure for any PM interview answer

Build a fictional world: Ask careful questions and to establish the rule of this new world
Dive into the new world: Tackle problem head on to come with something new and insight
Move out of this new world: Summarize what you did including what you might have missed

Think of it like a three-act story. Leah Nobel will call it Beginning, Middle, End, I have a bit boring take on it. But this framwork is quite popular in narrative fiction and screenwriting.

The core idea is that answer to any PM interview questions has 3 acts:

Act 1 — The setup

This is where you establish the interview's world. Ask questions to understand the problem space, the user's needs, and any limitations to set the "rules of the world."

Act 2 — Confront the challenge

This is is the heart of story. Now that you understand this new world you tackle the problem head on: brainstorm customer segment, come with creative solutions etc to produce something new and insightful.

Act 3 — Final resolution

The story concludes with a resolution and hints at future possibilities. This is where you summarize your approach, acknowledge potential roadblocks, and answer follow-up questions.

Why this approach works

I like this approach because of its:

Simplicity: So simple that is hard to forget
Adaptability: Molds to different interview question types.
Servers its purpose: Still offers some structure to operate

Example: Design a teleportation product

Act 1: Establish the world. What are the product goals? What are the technological limitations — weigh it can transfer, side-effect if any etc?

Act 2: Face the challenge. Explore and pick customer segment (frequent travelers, emergency deliveries, perishable food supply chain). Then pick problem to focus and corresponding solution

Act 3: Summarize your answer and acknowledge pitfalls (challenges with new technology, regulation, societal impact).

I hope this simplifies your approach and makes it a lot better. Happy PMing.