10 Trickiest Product Management Interview Questions Asked

Job interviews are often even more stressful than the new job itself. This is especially true for product managers, as the PM role differs from company to company regarding responsibilities and accountability. Most candidates expect to be asked about their strengths, weaknesses, and skills. However, there are often a couple of tricky questions that you'd better consider and prepare to answer in advance. We curated and listed all the tricky questions an interviewer would ask you and sample answers to help you prepare.

However, before we dive into questions, it is essential to know the following: 

How To Get The Most Out Of This Article Many of you will appreciate that this article has sample answers. However, avoid getting tempted to read the answers as if you were reading a novel! Instead, we recommend that you: Try solving the practice question(s) on your own Then compare your response with the sample answer With consistent and deliberate practice, you will: Get comfortable answering questions that most candidates find difficult. Absorb the concepts more deeply. Create an efficient feedback-learning loop, deducing when and where your response underperformed or outperformed the sample answer.

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Now let's directly get down to the brass tacks of this article and why you decided to read it by listing the trickiest PM interview questions asked in top companies & sample answers to give you a direct idea of handling them.

 #Question 1: Design a phone for the deaf.

Things to Consider

• The interviewer is testing your ability to empathize with the target persona, even if you may not be deaf yourself.
• While you may not be familiar with what it is like to be deaf, you will be surprised by what you uncover if you take the time to contemplate their needs.

Answer:

Some use cases and their flaws:

• Call someone- A deaf person can't tell what the person on the other line is saying.
• Receive a call- A deaf person cannot tell if the phone is ringing.
• Listening to someone- A deaf person cannot tell what the person on the other line is saying.
• Alarm- Can see visual alarms but cannot hear an audio alarm.
• App- Apps that require a hearing, such as music apps, will not be helpful.

Solutions:

• Vibrations: We must be thoughtful about how we vary it so that different vibrations can represent different things, whether an incoming call or a wake-up alarm.
• Haptics: Similar to vibrations, haptics provide tactile feedback that is more subtle than vibrations. The phone should allow developers to program or signal different haptic or vibration patterns.
•  Lights: We must ensure the phone lights up more when a call comes in or the alarm sounds.
• Captioning: We need call captions. Therefore, when someone is talking with a deaf person on the phone, the computer converts spoken words into text.
• Specialized app store: We need a section in the app store where only deaf-friendly apps can appear or deaf-friendly versions of existing apps.

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#Question 2: Design a better Starbucks.

Common Mistakes-

- Blurting "Just make the coffee better" and other similarly hasty responses.

- Not empathizing with the customer deeply enough limits your ability to develop innovative ideas.

-Copying competitors' innovations signifies an unoriginal and uncreative candidate.

Answer: 

I would focus on customer satisfaction. It starts a virtuous cycle that leads to repeat purchases and word-of-mouth marketing, all of which are positive for long-term revenue. 

First, consider Starbucks' problems: Long lines, Crowded, Limited electrical outlets, Poor furniture, Small food portions, and Expensive prices. 

Long lines are the most severe problem.

Solutions:

• Waiting Area: Have a particular area where customers can wait for their orders. Customers can relax while waiting for their drinks. Comfortable sofas with a TV and some magazines would be a start.
• Store Status: Check your local store's status on Starbucks' mobile app and website. Get information like estimated wait time. This way you can decide if you want to go or not. You can also add additional features like checking food and beverage inventory.
• Reservation: Allow customers to reserve tables. The store can then gauge how many users are coming in over the next hour and give you a warning if you are reserving for an hour that is already flooded with people. It can show an estimated wait time so you can decide if you want to reserve it for a particular hour.

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#Question 3: Pretend that a group of scientists claimed that phone batteries could not improve. As a contrarian, what would you recommend we do to build a better phone battery?

Answer:

1. Invent software to manage power consumption more effectively. For example, the phone could go into a low-power mode when the user is or should not be using the phone, such as sleeping or driving a car.
2. Allow the user to put the phone in low-resolution rendering mode. 
3. Create phone chargers that charge batteries faster.
4.  Automatically install app updates that improve battery performance. 
5. Use bigger batteries on the phone.
6. Use other batteries, like nuclear, assuming that real and perceived health risks are addressed.
7. Add solar charging panels to the phone, assuming the user remembers to take the phone out of their pocket or purse.

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#Question 4: Enumerate and prioritize use cases for a self-driving car targeted at blind people. 

Answer:

Blind drivers are our primary users, but we'll also have to consider their friends, relatives, and caretakers. I can see a couple of use cases:

• Drive: You can break this down into specific use cases, like switching lanes and stopping at red lights. Either way, the car must do this without driver assistance. The good news is that self-driving car technology can do this already. The other challenge is that blind people cannot see what is happening. It makes it hard for the driver to assess whether the car should speed up or slow down. One possible way to alleviate this is with audio feedback.
• Park: The car needs to auto-park. Once again, cars are capable of doing that today. Audio feedback is essential; the car can inform the user of the nearest landmark.
• Location Information: The driver may also want to share this location data when meeting friends.
• Additional Information: Outside of location information, there may be some additional information the driver/ passengers might find helpful such as which direction the blind driver is facing or whether the blind driver should be careful when exiting the car, especially if they parked next to a curb or if there is oncoming traffic.
• Safety: In instances where the car or driver cannot drive effectively, the car should have the appropriate safety features to prevent the drivers from harming themselves or others. Options to have the car pull over and stop or allow a remote person to control the vehicle, like a drone operator, would be helpful.

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#Question 5: How would you design an ATM for older people?

Common Mistakes

• Needlessly defining the persona further, given that the interviewer is already the persona.

• Going straight into solutions and not discussing pain points first.

Answer: 

Some of the pain points the elderly have with ATMs:

• Can't see the text.
• Get tired standing up.
• Need human assistance.
• Potential confusion on whether the ATM card should be swiped or inserted.
• Get startled when the machine beeps or takes a long time to complete an operation.
• Concerned when there's a long line of customers waiting behind me.

Some features that address the needs of the elderly while not taking out

features that would make it harder to use for the non-elderly: 

• We have to make sure it's placed inside. It might get windy and cold outside.
• The text on-screen needs to be significant because older people might have difficulty seeing.
• The sound needs to be louder because older people might have trouble hearing.
• It should be an ATM that allows you to sit down. The ATM should enable wheelchair access.
• Chairs should be available. Waiting customers may want to sit. Hand supports might be an option, especially if they're having trouble maintaining balance.
• There should be a big, noticeable button to ask for help.

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You Might Be Also Interested In Reading: What Is a Product Manager's Salary in India?

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#Question 6: Describe how you would handle a busy situation where three people are waiting for your help.

Common Mistakes

• Claiming that you would "do it all." The interviewer evaluates your judgment on what you think is important vs. what is not.

• Sharing an underwhelming example.

Answer:

I would first reply with a "Hi {NAME}." I want to acknowledge their presence so they don't feel

ignored. Then I would then ask them what was wrong. Based on what they say, I would prioritize requests based on the following:

•  Severity
• Customer Importance
• Estimated time to resolution

I'd tackle it one at a time, prioritizing based on the criteria I specified above. I would apologize for the situation for those who are waiting and got upset. And if necessary, I would provide a peace offering to soothe them.

After the near-term crisis, I'd figure out how to prevent such issues from happening again. It could involve a mixture of the following:

• Setting expectations so that my availability isn't taken for granted
• Implement a request process and clarify that all requests require at least a one-week lead time
• Collaborate with my boss and get his input on my top priorities

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Also Read: The Ultimate Guide To Ace Any Product Management Interview

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#Question 7: What does product management mean to you?

Common Mistake:

Giving a meandering, hard-to-follow response. This commonly happens when candidates try to think and articulate their answers simultaneously.

Answer:

When I think about the role of a product manager, I think of three main pillars:

• Serve as a team leader: The PM serves as the hub for the entire team. Product development is becoming increasingly complicated, and it's not strange for a team to have multiple departments within. Lastly, the PM brings consensus and mobilizes the execution and success.
• Define the goal: The PM determines the product's objectives and needs. Which market are we targeting? What features do we need? Who are our customers? These are all answers the PM must answer. 
• Explain the vision or game plan: The PM needs to figure out why we are doing this product this way and why. This person ensures the team understands his point of view and addresses their questions or concerns.

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Some more personalized behavioral questions

#Question 8: What would you bring to the team that nobody else would?

#Question 9: Tell me a time when you earned the trust of a group.

#Question 10: What are the three characteristics of successful product managers and bad product managers?

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Asking questions

At the end of the interview, you will often be asked, "What questions do you have for me?" This is your opportunity to demonstrate curiosity and gather insights to determine if this is a job you really want.

Here are some questions you can ask to learn more about the company and the role you are applying for:

• What is the strategic vision for this product?
• What do your customers say they love most (and least) about the product?
• How often are new features released?
• What is the best thing about being a product manager here?
• What is the hardest thing about being a product manager here?
• How do you, onboard new product managers?

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Takeaways

Use this guide to help you answer some of the most common interview questions. But remember that no matter how well you prepare, you will likely encounter unexpected or unusual questions.

Whatever questions you receive, think through your answer and, if needed, ask for clarification. Many questions need a right or wrong answer. The interviewer will want to see that you are thinking through the question logically. If you are still waiting for an answer, ask if you can come back to the question later in the interview or describe how you would find out the answer.

Best of luck with your interview.

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