What is this question about

“What’s your favorite product?” seems like a simple question, but this question is not only asking you about your favorite product. It’s also asking you:

• Who are the users of this product?

• What are their needs?

• How well does this product solve these pain points?

• How can this product improve?

An OK answer talks about a product from a user’s perspective, a great answer talks about the product from a product manager’s perspective. Where most people come short is only talking about how great the product is from their own use cases without going in-depth about other users and the product’s evolving opportunities.

How to pick a product

Pick a product that you use and like so you can communicate genuinely about why it’s your favorite app. This app should also have opportunities for improvements so you can showcase your PM chops.

• A product you use and like - contrary to the question, this doesn’t have to be your favorite product, it doesn’t have to be a product you use often, but it should be a product you’ve used and liked

• A product with opportunities for improvements - this should be a product where you see at least few big improvement opportunities and can talk in-depth about them if the interviewer asks you

How to structure your answers

Description: Describe what the product does and its key value propositions. You can often find this on the app’s tagline or the company’s website.

Users and user needs: Who are the key users of this product and their user needs, which user category do you fall into?

Improvements: What are the major improvement areas? Which one would you focus on? What are few potential solutions? Be ready to dig deep if the interviewer asks more questions.

Example

Description:

My favorite product is Getaround. Getaround is an app that allows users to instantly rent and drive cars from people nearby.

Users and user needs:

• For a city person who doesn’t own a car, I like it because it makes on-demand car rental very convenient:

  • Hyperlocal - I can always find a car within few blocks of where I am

  • Low friction to start driving - no membership needed and your phone is your key

• For car owners, it's a great way to make money for unused car capacity.

Improvements:

If I'm the PM of this product, I would first determine the most important goal for my product- acquisition, engagement, revenue, or to improve on user experience. I would focus on engagement because I want to prioritize bringing more value to existing users. One way to do this is by increasing bookings so users use Getaround more often. Few solutions could be:

• Increase user intent by providing trip suggestions such as running errands and taking road trips

• Increase bookings by expanding service offering such as long term rental, recurring bookings

What are your favorite products? Have you been asked this question in an interview? Do you have more questions? Please comment below.