Drill: Interviewer Aha Moments

This is part of a series of articles on drills you can do to practice when you get stuck.

In this case, I recommend taking 5 prompts a day for a week (yes that is 5 x7 = 35). It only takes 5 to 10 minutes, but you need to focus on identifying what the key concepts are you need to identify to keep from spiraling out of control during your interview.

Here is an example of a 5-10 exercise with 5 Prompts:

1. Prompt 1: Improve Meta Reactions

   • Aha Moment: What is the emotion people want to share but can't?

     • Common Problems: People just to listing solutions because it is soo simple on the surface. 

2. Prompt 2: Design a solution to help people be healthier.

   • Aha Moments: You can be literal: Physical but you can also be more open : Relationships.

   • Clarifying Is Key: Check with interviewer, but doesn't matter which way you go so long as you can show you know it has multiple meanings.

   • Common Problems: Spiraling with choice. Stay open but don't spiral.

3. Prompt 3: Help people find healthcare in a new city.

   • Aha Moment: You can't rely on contacts/referrals.

   • Trick: Specialists that are more common is likely the biggest issues.

   • How specific can you get? The prompt isn’t that different from “Find a Doctor,” generally, so focusing on types of doctors will often help you show greater empathy.

   • Common Problems: Losing track of things you might need to prioritize for new city. Think about who needs to find a doctor more urgently when moving to a new city to keep yourself from falling into traps of where it is the same as the more generic prompt.

4. Prompt 4: Design a product to improve employee health at X company.

   • Common Patterns: You start to see they like this health angle. Why? It is complex but also universal.

   • Aha Moment: If company is focusing, it isn't about primary care, it is about what a company can do to keep people happy. Think WLB; lower stress; build confidence; encourage exercise; help people make friends.... lots of choices.

   • Common Problem: Too much choice. Don't spiral but also keep the company ownership top of mind. 

5. Prompt 5: Design a solution for a libary

   1. Common Patten: You will see the borrow/lend theme throughout Meta.

   2. Aha Moment: In this case, it can be easy to fixate on books, but books are solved, or mostly so. You could go down the community support route OR borrow/lend non-books.

   3. Common Problem.: Don't get stuck on the obvious but don't get soo creative you lose them. What are trends with library right now? 

Now, try for 7 days in a row, taking 5 prompts and quickly thinking critically about what they are looking for and what common stumbling blocks are. Don’t try to answer the entire prompt as part of this exercise, just focus on trying to think critically