What do you screen for in product interviews that other product leaders don't screen for?

Answer

4 Answers

Product Management Interviews

Brandon Green

Buffer Staff Product Manager | Formerly Wayfair, Abstract, CustomMade, Sonicbids • 3y

I personally bias toward PMs (or aspiring PMs) with a creative mind, whether that's shown through actual background experience in a creative field, or a highly creative or unconventional response to a question asked in the interview process. I find creative types (often with liberal arts degrees) to be highly effective PMs and leaders due to a common ability to connect dots and find problems and solutions others may not see or understand. This is not a requirement for a product role, but I do th ...Read More

1,585 Views
Karishma Irani

Scribe VP of Product | Formerly LaunchDarkly, New Relic • 1y

I screen candidates for their appreciation and love for the craft of building great products. As difficult as this is to test for, it's equally easy to identify when you see it. Candidates who possess this demonstrate a deep understanding of why products with fewer features win the hearts and minds of their customers over another product that's more feature-rich. They notice the nuances of the product – the toast notifications, form fields, navigation layout, etc. Why I think this is important f ...Read More

1,116 Views
Kara Gillis

Cortex VP of Product | Formerly Splunk, Deloitte • 1y

I really enjoy working with people who are incredibly proactive / take initiative types who are naturally curious and motivated to solve hard problems. What typically correlates highly with this profile is a person with quiet confidence and intrinsically motivated to make a difference to customers. I screen for this profile as much as I can.

546 Views
Kalvin Brite

Contentful VP, Product Management | Formerly Twilio, SendGrid • 3y

I look for candidates who demonstrate curiosity and structured thinking during product interviews. Curiosity is an essential trait for PMs because it helps them stay up to date on industry trends and understand the needs and motivations of their users. In interviews, I screen for candidates who are curious about the product and its users and who can ask thoughtful questions and delve deeper into the problem space. Structured thinking is also vital for PMs because it helps them break down complex ...Read More

361 Views