Grading Advice No. 8: Metrics for Success
Metrics for success questions are one of the most commonly asked across companies of all sizes. The gold standard for these questions is Meta/Facebook. If the candidate can meet that bar, they will be successful in almost any execution case question.
With that in mind, let’s think about what an execution-focused company like Meta would be looking for. If you are new to this type of question, I suggest taking a quick look at the Happy Path Framework for Metrics questions (alternatively, a lot of people like the G.AM.E. framework).
Most Common Mistakes:
Product Purpose: Not getting on the same page with what the product does
Marketplaces: Not Acknowledging Marketplace dynamics (when it applies)
Design Framework: Focusing too much on the user as if answering a design prompt
Goal: Not talking about the Goal.
Goal: Being too long-winded with the goal and saying something no one could follow.
Goal: Not knowing the difference between the business and user goal.
Metrics: Listing Pirate Metrics (AARRR - Typical Growth Metrics)
Actions: Listing every step in the funnel. Thus taking too long and lacking focus on the most important things.
Trade-offs*: Fail to identify the company goal and mission before discussing the trade-off decision.
Experimentation*: They speak in high-level theories of what they would do with a full team rather than going along with the case and speaking about specifics in the case at hand.
* These are also seen as separate, standalone questions. But 60%+ of the time a metrics for success question will led to probing questions about trade-offs or experiments. Be ready for them.
What to look for:
Communication. Is the candidate concise and structured? Can you follow the logic and take clear notes?
Why this product? Why now? Can the candidate communicate the problem the product/feature solves for users? And can they explain why it is an important problem to solve today?
Goals. Does the candidate set 1-3 reasonable goals, in a clearly prioritized manner? Are these metrics the team can move
Measuring Impact. Can the candidate clearly list a comprehensive set of metrics that represent both sides of the ecosystem (if marketplace)?
Trade-offs: If asked, can the candidate Identify a framework for evaluating any trade-off in an objective manner using data?
