#6 Mastering Technical Questions in PM Interviews
Welcome back to our interview preparation series! Hope you liked the series so far, in case you haven’t looked at previous emails then please do check the link here -Â
#5 How to approach product design questions in PM interviews?
#4 Root Cause Analysis
#3 Defining Success Metrics: A Core Competency for Product Managers
#2 Understanding Estimation or Guestimates Questions
#1 Interview preparation for aspiring Product Managers [Email Series]
In today’s email, we’ll cover technical questions often asked in product management interviews. These questions test your technical knowledge and your ability to work effectively with engineering teams. Understanding these concepts and communicating them clearly is crucial for any product manager.
As a product manager, you must have a solid grasp of technical concepts, as you'll work closely with engineering teams. Technical interview questions assess your understanding of these concepts and your ability to convey them to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Before we deep dive, technical interview questions depend a lot on the job description or role you are applying for. For example, SaaS and tech product startups like Browserstack, Postman have focused roles like Technical Product Managers.
Most Commonly Asked Questions and How to Approach Them
1. What happens when you enter a URL in a web browser?
DNS Lookup: The browser first checks its cache for the DNS record. If it’s not found, it queries a DNS server to get the IP address of the server hosting the website.
TCP/IP Connection: Once the IP address is known, the browser establishes a TCP connection with the server using a three-way handshake.
HTTP Request: The browser then sends an HTTP GET request to the server, asking for the web page.
Server Response: The server processes this request, fetches the required resources (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images), and sends them back to the browser.
Rendering: The browser processes the HTML content, applies CSS for styling, executes JavaScript for dynamic behavior, and finally renders the page on the screen.
2. Explain what an API is to a 12-year-old.
Definition: Imagine you’re at a restaurant. An API is like the waiter who takes your order to the kitchen and brings your food back to you.
Function: Just like the waiter, an API helps apps talk to each other. When you use an app, it asks the server (kitchen) for information, which is then sent back to the app and displayed to you.
3. How would you approach revamping a B2B product?
Understand Current State: Start by assessing the product's performance. Gather user feedback through surveys, interviews, and usage data to identify pain points and areas for improvement.
Define Objectives: Set clear, measurable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) for the revamp, such as improving user satisfaction, increasing conversion rates, or reducing churn.
Research and Benchmark: Analyze competitors and industry trends to understand best practices and innovations that could be applied.
Prioritize Changes: Use a prioritization matrix (e.g., Impact vs. Effort) to decide which features or improvements to implement first. Create a roadmap outlining the timeline and phases of the revamp.
Collaborate with Teams: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including design, engineering, marketing, and sales, to ensure alignment and effective execution.
Test and Iterate: Launch a beta version of the revamped product to a small group of users. Gather feedback, analyze results, and make necessary adjustments before a full launch.
4. What is the difference between REST and GraphQL?
REST:
Uses fixed endpoints (eg /users, /posts) and standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).
Returns data in a predefined structure, often leading to over-fetching or under-fetching of data.
It is stateless, meaning that each client request contains all the information the server needs to fulfill the request.
Supports caching, making it efficient for repetitive requests.
Simple to implement and widely adopted.
GraphQL:
Uses a single endpoint for all queries and mutations (eg /graphql).
Clients specify exactly what data they need, reducing over-fetching and under-fetching.
Offers flexible and efficient queries, allowing clients to request multiple resources in a single request.
Built-in introspection makes it easier to understand and explore the API.
Eliminates the need for versioning, as clients can request specific fields without affecting others.
5. How would you explain cloud computing to a non-technical stakeholder?
Definition: Cloud computing is like renting a storage unit instead of building your own shed. You pay a provider to store your items securely, without worrying about maintenance or infrastructure.
Analogy: Instead of owning and maintaining physical servers, you rent computing resources from cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure. This allows you to access and use powerful computing capabilities over the internet, scaling up or down as needed without the hassle of managing hardware.
There is no shortcut while answering technical questions, and it’s always good to get a good grasp by reading some popular books around this. If you have time, do spend some time reading Tech Simplified for PMs - https://www.amazon.in/Tech-Simplified-Entrepreneurs-Deepak-Singh/dp/9355664990Â
We are partnering with an industry expert to go deeper in the interview preparation series, please stay tuned on that, more on it in our next email.