Product Manager Interview: Design an Audio Product for Meta

Watch our mock product manager interview with Kevin and Bala Sahitya Vadlamani (Meta PM). Bala walks through how to design an audio product for Meta.

Chapters -
00:00 - Introduction
01:27 - Clarifying questions
03:21 - Answer
05:30 - Mission
07:27 - Types of users
11:54 - Pain Points
16:56 - Vision
17:38 - Potential solutions
26:10 - Risks
27:05 - Interview feedback
28:57 - Tips

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[thepmguyy]

I think this is a really strong product sense interview. Not having a framework is bad, having a framework is good but sticking to it to the t is boring and annoying for interviewers who watch 100s of candidates do this over and over again. Having a framework but making it flow and sound like a conversation around ideas/topics is what separates the great from good/ok interviews! Love how conversational and free-flowing this is. Thanks for sharing!

[TracyChen-vnxm]

I would first clarify the primary goal of designing an audio product. Is the audio product for monetization, user acquisition, or engagement? This would help with coming up relevant solutions and defining a clear North Star metric to measure success later in the interview.

[nupurwaikar]

I liked her analytical thinking however "audio" is not a product it is a domain.I honestly feel even before the WHY the first question should've WHAT product portfolio of Meta needs this and what problem are we trying to solve by building this product. Other Exponent interviews are specific like, Design Spotify or Design Tinder but this one was pretty generic. But still there is so much to learn from her. Thank you.

[PokriPoki]

This lady did really good. Better than most other PM interviews I have seen so far! Thanks for sharing.

[sebl.]

I would’ve clarified where in the audio space the interviewer wants me to focus on. Is it audio chatrooms like Clubhouse or even an assistant for visually impaired peope? I think audio is such a broad domain that it needs to be narrowed down earlier on in the interview

[MohitS-occc]

This is one of the best product sense interviews I have seen so far. While interviewing candidates, I am most focussed on understanding their thought process, and if they're asking me the right questions and taking me along. I see this done really well here. I like the solution as well. As a podcast listener, I would find it helpful if implemented.

[rong]

Nicely done! I found it very helpful and took notes. I'll definitely be applying learnings to my interviews.

The framework used by the interviewee:
The Why
Tie to Mission of Meta
Customer Segmentation
Painpoints
Product Vision
Solutions
Design of prioritized solution
Risks

[airliu]

The highlights of this interview were the beginning and the end. Loved how the interviewee took the time to lay out why Meta might want to explore building a product in the audio domain, tying it to the events in the world, changing lifestyles of people during and post covid and citing supporting data. Definitely the mark of a great interview and great PM. She then does an excellent job explaining how audio consumption aligns with the mission of Meta. Towards the end she lays out a product vision before solutioning and uses that vision to prioritize among solutions. Overall, amazing work! Thanks for sharing!

[jsrvivekk]

Nailed it, too much insights can be drawn from this 30 mins video to make the discussion free flowing and ease the whole interview exp. Preparedness, having structure of thoughts by taking short gap, aligning & sticking with framework and binding things with mission & vision etc all are definitely making her stand out... Thanks for sharing !!

[sharjeelsiddique]

I went to the same undergraduate university with her. She had a different major but we crossed paths and worked on some college organizations together. I feel so happy seeing her in this video.

Such a full circle experience as I am prepping for a PM interview and seeing her do a mock while I prep. 👏

[debasishbanerjee]

Loved the clarity in thought. I'd have loved to hear from someone who hasn't been in this space.

[pandeymani]

One of the well structured describing the solutions, painpoints, user segmentation and integration with 3rd party tools; is one the best interview I've Thank You!

[supranasengupta]

Really good interview.. I loved how she revisited Meta's vision now and then and stuck to the vision with all her ideas.. that's one thing we often forget

[rachanadas]

Wow she is too good..her solutions were awesome

[alinemortarimachado]

It was the first video that I saw from the Exponent channel, and I loved it. It's very clear, and in my opinion, it's a must-watch for all PM job aspirants!

[arpitmit]

One of the best Product Sense Interviews! A must-watch for all the PM job aspirants!

[Skerbz]

Hmmm. I was a bit unimpressed with this interview as an example. Some things that felt missing:
- understanding of existing facebook (+ other social) audio products and integrations
- defining user classes (listeners, creators, and platforms) took until 7:30...
- the final presented product ideas felt scattered and undefined

This interview example/critique as an educational asset might be aided by sharing context for the interviewer's evaluation (i.e. framing, product sense, problem discovery/validation, collaboration, user research, risk analysis, presentation, etc.). Possibly including a rubric in the description might bring that context for the video watcher.

While my feedback would mirror the interviewer's, I would probably coach the candidate to strengthen the connection between the vision, ROI, and user experience. Understanding how the product connects back to Meta's overall vision should be essential. Getting to an "aha!" inspiration moment for the user perspective should be possible for a product design interview. Neither were clear by the end.

[KanmiTitusFx]

It's such an insgithful video for me, the value in this video is immeasurable , i'm looking forward to watching more and more

[NamanNagesh]

Sorry to say but very avg interview; She definitely did the structure part good but as a listener I am really not sure about the feature/product she is looking to build and ignoring the content creation part was a big mistake. I am just not sure what is this audio product? is it a podcast?

[anamikajati]

One of the best product design questions I have seen! Thanks for sharing