What are some assignments that you given to PMM candidates during the interview process?

Common assignments we've asked candidates include:  How would you announce a new feature? (How would you approach developing messaging for this launch? Suggest 3 tactics you would employ to announce this feature to customers. Who are the internal stakeholders you would work with, and in what capacity? How would you think about measuring the success of this announcement?) Provide a high-level strategy for how you'd tackle competitive research  Give a 1-2 sentence (original) pitch on our product  ...Read More

My go-to technical assessment is asking candidates to present a case study on a launch they have done in the past. This helps me evaluate: PMM craft—launches are a core competency of product marketing. While one launch process can vary from the next, I want to ensure that a candidate has a point of view on the mechanics and knows what good looks like. Do they understand concepts like tiering? Do they know the basic list of materials that need to be developed? How do they approach cross-functiona ...Read More

None I know sometimes this answer is controversial, but there is such a power imbalance as an interviewer that I think it is incredibly unfair to ask all of these people to each put in the time, on their own, to do essentially a PMM activity for free. If you're a PMM who knows your craft and is interviewing someone for a role, you can instantly tell someone's skill level and experience. There is enough about this job that can be so complex that most of us advanced in our careers have seen it all ...Read More

Assignments are a great way to understand how a candidate approaches problem solving at a deeper level. I request the below assignments based on the level that I'm hiring for: 1) Prepare a launch plan - Driving successful product launches is "non-negotiable" for a PMM. Launch Plan helps assess strategic thinking and executional depth. A comprehensive launch plan involves one to think beyond PMM to take the product to market and also provides an opportunity to assess the candidate's intent to col ...Read More