We now have a visitor put up from Swati Priyam. Swati is a product administration veteran with deep technical experience. She’s held roles at a few of the greatest manufacturers together with Expedia, Navis, and EMC. Swati holds a Grasp of Software program Engineering from Carnegie Mellon.
When you’ve labored with Lewis, participated in his workshops, or learn his books, you already know that he’s all about frameworks.
Frameworks assist immensely, each on the job and on the interview. Frameworks get you higher outcomes and be certain that your considering and communication is thorough. Frameworks would possibly impress your viewers too.
Under, I’ve described his favourite frameworks together with when and the way you must use them.
In response to Lewis Lin, if you find yourself requested a behavioral query, as a substitute of giving a boring mechanical reply utilizing the STAR (Scenario, Job, Motion, Outcome) technique, you will need to discover a technique to painting your experiences as fascinating, partaking tales that hiring managers can simply perceive and luxuriate in. For that function, he developed the DIGS framework as proven beneath:
- D ramatize the state of affairs
- I ndicate the options
- G o by way of what you probably did
- S ummarize your affect
Utilizing the DIGS framework not solely permits your interviewer to grasp the significance of the story you’re speaking about but additionally what you probably did with all doable options in thoughts. Lewis Lin recommends utilizing The Rule of Three framework whereas doing that. An inventory of three issues inherently appears extra full than an inventory of two issues. However, an inventory of 4 or 5 issues is just too many and would possibly get overwhelming to the interviewer.
Whereas explaining the options, it is extremely useful to do a execs and cons record which helps the interviewer perceive the thought technique of the choice the storyteller made to resolve the issue.
While you undergo particulars of what you probably did, you may leverage the 5W and H framework to persuade the interviewer that you simply have been on the motive force’s seat in your story and never simply somebody sitting subsequent to the motive force. Listed beneath is the breakdown of this framework together with some examples of the best way to use them to offer clear particulars in an fascinating approach.
- What did you do?
- Who did you name?
- When did you determine to launch?
- The place was the product launched first?
- Why did you launch it there?
- How did you prioritize?
When requested a product design query, Lewis recommends adopting his CIRCLES Methodology as proven beneath to arrange your ideas and supply an entire response with out forgetting any step in an interview setting.
- C omprehend the state of affairs
- I dentify the shopper
- R eport the shopper’s wants
- C ut by way of prioritization
- L ist Options
- E valuate trade-offs
- S ummarize your suggestions
As you Comprehend the state of affairs, it’s often an excellent apply to make use of the 5W and the H query record.
Nevertheless, within the curiosity of time, Lewis recommends shortening to only the 3Ws and H as a substitute:
- What’s it?
- Who’s it for?
- Why do they want it?
- And the way does it work?
To Determine and Report your buyer wants and to sketch the actions of the shopper, draw a buyer journey map. It helps you uncover product enchancment areas simply. Whereas drawing the shopper journey map, take into consideration the 5Es guidelines to assist brainstorm completely different levels of the shopper expertise. Listed below are the 5Es:
- E ntice: What occasion triggers a person to enter into the UX funnel?
- E nter: What are the primary few steps within the UX funnel?
- E ngage: What activity(s) is the person attempting to perform?
- E xit: How does the person full the duty?
- E xtend: What comply with up actions happen after the person completes the duty?
After you may have recognized the shopper and their wants and are onto the step of Itemizing the options, you will need to bear in mind the Rule of three. Brainstorming on at the least 3 or extra options will enable you innovate iteratively and can put you in a snug state of affairs because the interviewer critiques your options.
Beneath the product execution query kind, you could be requested to outline metrics for a product as you put together to launch a brand new function to the market. AARM metrics is a good analytical framework which supplies step-by-step steering to measure your success. Listed beneath are some pattern inquiries to ask your self as you cope with a metrics query.
- A cquisition – How are you going to observe buyer sign-ups to your service?
- A ctivation – What number of customers are absolutely registering to your service?
- R etention – What number of customers are returning to make use of the service usually and in flip, serving to the enterprise?
- M onetization – How a lot income can you acquire from the customers?
The McKinsey SCR framework allows you to craft a succinct enterprise story. Right here is how you must use it:
- S ituation – Clarify the context and details to familiarize the viewers
- C omplication – What was the issue?
- R esolution – How did you go about fixing the issue?
The ESTEEM Methodology is a step-by-step information for what you must do to climb the PM ladder after you may have landed a terrific PM job. The elements are as listed:
- E xecution – Legendary PMs ship 5-10x of what common PMs ship
- S uperior communication abilities – Legendary PMs are robust communicators
- T actical consciousness – Legendary PMs work smarter, not more durable
- E xtraordinary psychological toughness – Legendary PMs don’t give up simply
- E xceptional crew builder – Legendary PMs have a terrific community of proficient folks
- M oonshot imaginative and prescient – Legendary PMs differentiate themselves with a moonshot imaginative and prescient
PEDALS is a six-step framework to information dialogue and improvement of scalable methods. The six steps are:
- P roccess necessities
- E stimate
- D esign the service
- A rticulate the Information Mannequin
- L ist the Architectural Comonents
- S scale
Whereas these frameworks, strategies, and acronyms are very helpful in organizing one’s ideas, one should bear in mind why they’re there and the best way to use them. They’re meant to make your life straightforward.
Keep in mind that these frameworks are simply pointers or checklists, however not full recipes.
For extra particulars, check with Lewis’ books:
Decode & Conquer by Lewis C. Lin
The Product Supervisor Interview by Lewis C Lin
The System Design Interview by Lewis C Lin and Shivam P Patel
Be the Biggest Product Supervisor Ever by Lewis C Lin
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