Common product manager interview questions, how many have you met?

In the job search process, in addition to having a suitable resume, the interview is the most important thing. An interview is not like a resume, there will be a fixed template, as long as the experience is put on the resume template, you will encounter various surprise questions at any time during the interview, which makes it hard to prevent.

Nonetheless, for some questions that are highly featured in product interviews, there are still answering routines that can be followed as a reference. Prepare in advance and be prepared.

Q1 – If you were asked to design a cup, how would you design it?

Answer: First of all, I will make the cups use sturdy materials, so that it is not easy to break, secondly, I will make the cups have a beautiful appearance, which can attract attention, and finally I will give the cups a crystal lid to highlight the noble quality, balabala…

Comments: The above is the wrong posture, if it is true, it will be a cup. For such questions, you should avoid falling into the trap of asking A and A and answering according to your own subjective preferences. The essence of the question is, if you were to design a product, how would you design it. This product can be a cup, a plane, or a tank. It is the way of thinking that you design the product.

Suggested posture: I will conduct preliminary research, first consider who the cups (products) to be designed are intended for (target market), what problems are solved (product value), and secondly consider how many people will use them (market size) ), whether it can make money, and if not, whether it has other meanings (success indicators), and then consider whether there are already similar cups in the market (competitive landscape), why we are suitable for doing it (competitive advantage), and whether it is appropriate to do it now (market timing), After production, how to market (marketing strategy) and so on, and finally combine the above research results, and then decide on the specific cup design.

Similar questions include what would you do if you were asked to improve a certain page, function, process, etc. of our product. The above methods and ideas can be applied. The key thing to remember is that every design and change should be in line with the positioning of the product, based on target users and data.

Q2 – You are not a technical background, can you be a good product manager?

Comments: In addition to certain fields, such as search, background and other products, which have higher technical background requirements, non-technical products in other product fields can still be dealt with.

Suggested posture: First of all, I will admit that it is ideal for product managers to understand technology. In product design, the implementation cost of technology can be considered, and the difficulty of communication with development can be reduced. But whether you know technology or not is not the most important indicator to measure whether you can be a good product manager. It is complete nonsense to say that people who understand technology can be good product managers. The author once interviewed a small partner who majored in software engineering in a key university and asked him what type of mobile apps he used. The student answered in surprise: Are apps still classified? Aren’t they all the same? Of course, this is an example, but it also reflects to a certain extent whether the product manager can do well, technology is not the most critical factor, but more importantly whether I have the thinking of making products (what is product thinking, you can refer to the previous question. Answer).

A product manager is a position that requires a combination of soft and hard skills, such as logic, communication, self-study, and product expertise. Technical knowledge is only one part of it. have benefits.

Q3 – What was the biggest difficulty you encountered in the process of making a product, and how did you solve it?

Comments: This question examines your ability to solve problems at work. In fact, whether you are working on products, development or other occupations, you will encounter all kinds of unpredictable difficulties in your work. When answering, you only need to show the ability used in the process of solving problems, combined with practical examples to illustrate that Can.

Suggested posture: For example, since I am a liberal arts student, I need to communicate with the development team when I first work on the product. Many times, I do not understand some technical terms that programmers say, what algorithms, interfaces, front-end and back-end, etc. So in order to solve the problem and reduce the cost of communication, I will first learn and understand the relevant technical concepts through the Internet and books. If I still don’t understand, I will ask the programmers I know well. After all, in the product work, there is basically no self-study. Difficulties that cannot be resolved by communication.

Another example is that during the project promotion process, our team often worked overtime with high load due to the shortage of resources and high demand. In the face of this difficulty, after analysis, I believe that one of the reasons is the lack of reasonable demand control. Prioritize the requirements, so organize the product team to prioritize and classify various requirements, and then execute them according to the plan. Secondly, after the requirements are reasonably divided, the team is still working at a high load. At this time, I will communicate with the boss and superiors to see if the scope of the requirements can be reduced or the project resources can be increased. No matter how much, after all, it is difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice, and a product manager is not a god.

Q4 – Correct Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

In addition, during the interview, we have to correct some postures and mentality in order to better show our personal characteristics and level.

Posture A: When the interviewer is interviewing you, you are also interviewing the interviewer, don’t be fooled by the interviewer

Some fresh graduates or newcomers to the workplace, due to their lack of qualifications and confidence, or due to their personality, often have stage fright during interviews, resulting in unsatisfactory performance. In fact, in the workplace, except in a few cases, the boss will personally preside over it. Most of the time, the interviewer is just like you, but an ordinary person who comes out to work and make a living. The author has also encountered people who have worked for many years but are interviewing Product owner with shaking hands when he is a candidate.

Therefore, in the interview, mutual respect is the premise. There is absolutely no need for job seekers to be overly restrained. If you meet a tough and rude interviewer, you can consider whether to stress test. Otherwise, if the interviewer is of such quality, you should be more fortunate that you have not been recruited into such a wonderful team.

Posture B: When a small company’s products go to a big company for an interview, don’t be fooled by the big company’s tall background

You know, even big companies are developed from small companies. When faced with products of large companies with millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of users, small companies may be ashamed to talk about their products due to the tiny size of their product data. In fact, the successful product of a large company is the result of how many people and how many resources have been spent to survive in the market. It is by no means the result of a few glorified heroes or product leaders who can do it alone. to the thing. As for the position of product, it is relatively easy to inherit the fruits and assets of the predecessors. Maybe the director of one of your well-known products was interviewed, or it was only last week that he came from another department or company.

Second, even a company with a lot of talent and resources doesn’t always produce successful products. Behind the dazzling brilliance of a successful product, there are still many products in the company that are unknown from beginning to end, and end in failure. Therefore, there is no need for a small company to have a sense of inferiority. Maybe the difficulties you have overcome and the tempering you have gained in the work of the small temple are much richer than those sitting across from you.

In fact, the interview is not a monster. As long as we can prepare well, the army will stop it, and the water will cover it. No matter how difficult the interview question is, it will not be difficult for you who are well prepared.