Product Management Event Held at the Product Conference in San Francisco. Gayle McDowell taught how to prepare for Product Manager interviews, what top companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft really look for, and how to tackle the toughest problems. She also discussed how the ambiguously-named "PM" (product manager / program manager) role varies across companies, what experience you need, how to make your existing experience translate, what a great PM resume and cover letter look like, and finally, how to master the PM interview questions (estimation questions, behavioral questions, case questions, product questions, technical questions, and the super important "pitch").

1. How to Crack the PM Interview by Gayle
McDowell
www.productschool.com

2. Cracking the
PM Interview
Gayle Laakmann McDowell
Author, Cracking the PM
Interview

3. The “Perfect” PM
& The Perfect Pitch

4. The Perfect PM
Leadership
&
Execution
Technica
l
Product
Industry
Business

5. ------ the ------
Perfect PM
------ is a ------
MYTH

6. What do you have? What do you need?
What do I assume?

7. The “Good Enough” Pitch
● Quick walk through
● Demonstrations of
success
● Prompt the interviewer
● Hobbies

8. The Great Pitch
● Tells an [engaging] story
● Addresses your “stereotype”
● Sends a message. Who are you, really?
The Great Pitch

9. Behavioral Questions

10. Your Response Should:
● Answer the Question
● Deliver a Positive Message
● Be Well Structured

11. Job 1 Job 2
Leadership
Successes
Challenges
Mistakes
Conflicts
Developing Your Stories: Strategy 1:

12. Developing Your Stories: Strategy 2
STRENGTHS:
● Data driven
● Risk taking
● Thoroughness
● Empathy
● Grit
WEAKNESSES:
● Not detail oriented
● Bluntness
● Sensitivity
● Impatient

13. Well-Structured Responses
● State the “Nugget” First
● Situation, Action, Response

14. Structure 1:
Nugget FirstA: I’m most proud of program
I set up to …
Q: What accomplishment are you
most proud of?
Nugget First

15. S
A
R
What was the issue?
What did you do about it?
What was the impact?
What’s the message?
Nugget + ...
S.A.R.

16. Story 1 Story 2
NUGGET
SITUATION
ACTION
What & Why & How
RESULT
THE MESSAGE
DO DIFFERENTLY
Diagram Your Stories

17. 3 Big Mistakes
● Too little action
● No message
● “We” instead of “I”

18. Product Design

19. How would you design an
alarm clock for the blind?
What’s your favorite app? Why?
Pick a Google product.
How would you improve it?

20. What I’m Looking For
● Communication
● User Empathy
● Creativity
● Judgement
● Product Insight

21. Designing /
Improving a
Product
1

22. 1. Ask questions
2. Identify users
3. Discuss use cases / motivations / goals
■ Discuss weak points of existing solutions
4. DESIGN
5. Wrap up
How to Tackle
Use the whiteboard!

23. don’t forget the user

24. How would you design a
bookcase for children?

25. Favorite
Products
2

26. What’s your
favorite __?
● Mobile App
● Website
● Physical Product
● Company Product
Never, ever walk into a PM interview
without prepping these!

27. 1. What problem does product solve?
■ Think about the USER
2. What makes it neat?
3. How is it better than alternatives?
4. [If applicable] How would you improve it?
How to Tackle

28. Know:
● Why do you love it?
● Who are the users?
● Why do they love it?
● Who’s the competition?
● What are the alternative
products/solutions?
● What issues are there?
How would you improve it?

29. show me insight.

30. Other Resources
Gayle.com
CareerCup.com
CrackingThe
CodingInterview.com
Or, follow me online
• facebook.com/gayle
• twitter.com/gayle
• gayle.com
• gayle@gayle.com
• quora.com
More Resources

31. Part-time Product Management Courses in
San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, New
York, Austin, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Denver,
London, Toronto
www.productschool.com