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Product Sense: Does "mission" really matter?

Interview prep
,
#1

Since the components mentioned below are not included as part of the FB PM Course (Product Sense section). So I want to confirm the relevance of the components mentioned below from an interviewer’s perspective.

  • Company Mission - Talking about the company mission and how the area being evaluated is relevant to the mission
  • Competition - To find out opportunities that will make the solution stand out. (I understand this one may be optional)

My concerns -
(1) Which ones if not mentioned will be a red flag.
(2) My understanding is that the level of depth of the answer also is a factor to determine the level that you get hired at. Is that not the case?

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#2

Hi Jay,

  • Company mission → this is very important and a natural part to discuss as part of the goals section: talk about what the company does, it mission and how this product fits into it, i.e. its goal (Facebook cares about this a lot, and so does Lyft)
  • Competition → I’m not sure what you mean by that. Certainly, competition is a good factor to keep in mind when evaluating solutions (solutions with low competition/unmet needs are more impactful)
    • If you’re asking whether you should do an extensive competitive landscape analysis as part of the product sense interview: I don’t recommend it. Overly focusing on competitors is likely going to steer you to very incremental solutions.

The primary drivers of leveling are behavioral interviews + communication skill in the other two interviews (having hard skills in product sense/analytical is considered tablestakes and primarily drives whether you get an offer at all)

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#3

Really interesting and super helpful. Thanks David.

No further questions regarding the Company mission. And you answered everything I had in my mind regarding Competition. I have been a victim of spending more time than I would like to, so your reply will help to review my approach and stay focussed. Thanks.

Also thanks for sharing your thoughts on leveling. Really insightful.

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