Let’s Talk Prioritization

While there are case questions dedicated to prioritization (think DoorDash) the vast majority of product cases require candidates to display prioritization skills. This shows up throught out each case type.

Let’s walk through some of them.

Product Sense

• Narrowing : : For ambiguous prompts, you need to go from a big idea to a specific one to properly solve the case. How you bring the listener along with you is about explaining your prioritization.

• Goal : : Selecting a goal is about prioritizing in small way.

• Users : : Setting out 3 and picking one is prioritizaiton

• Pain Points : : Listing many and picking one pain point to focus on is classic prioritization

• Solutions : : Listing 3 solutions. Explaining pros and cons of each and picking one is all about prioritization/trade-offs.

Strategy

• Clarifiying Questions : : Narrowing the prompt through questions is prioritization

• A vs. B Strategy : : Explaining different hypotheses and picking one is prioritization

• Go/No-Go Decision : : Picking a lane and staying in it is about prioritization. If you are asked “Should X do Y, yes or no?” That is question of prioritization and trade-offs.

Metrics

• Mission/Goal : : The company and team mission and goal narrow and thus is a form of prioritization.

• List of Metrics : : You can’t possibly list all metrics, so the ones you list are a matter of prioritization. Being able to explain Metric A vs Metric B is prioritization. The metrics you don’t share with your interviewer are a form of prioritization.

• North Star Metric : : Picking the North Star Metric out of all the metrics listed is prioritization. Being able to debate between two metrics without being asked is a way to display ability to prioritize.

• Align Metrics to Goal : : Acknowledging the alignment between the goal and the metrics is a form of prioritization.

Prioritization

• Worst Problem : : Picking the “worst” problem from a list is prioritiation.

• Debating : : Can you talk about why you prioritized something other than the worst problem.

Estimation

• Approach : : There are multiple ways to approach estimating, which one you pick speaks to prioritization.

• Simplified Equation : : Trying to keep it to 3 or 4 variables requires prioritization.

If there are other prompt types you would like to see evaluated for their prioritization requirements, let me know.