User vs Business Perspective

Jan 22

TL; DR - Focus on the User first. Always have a user-problem-solving mindset foremost in your mind during case interviews, and at work.

There are several personalities that you find in the product management role. One personality type, the MBA, is frequently loved or hated. A lot of traditional PMs find MBAs to be missing the mark. Others think they are amazing.

If you are an MBA, or come from a heavy business finance background, you may need to worry about getting type-cast during your PM interviews. In companies where they love MBAs, you don’t need to worry. But in companies where they don’t value MBAs or had a terrible experience with one, you want to be extra careful about how you answer your product case interview.

I have observed X patters with those coming from a strong MBA background, or those who feel they need to prove they have an MBA-mindset in order to win in product:

1. Business Goals First

In a product case interview most of the problematic signals boil down to more of a business-first rather than user-first approach. To keep this in check, keep your emphasis the user problem in a design or product sense case. Show empathy through user segmentation and the user journey. Don’t say my business goal would be X before exploring the user problem posed.

How to keep things in check during a behavioral interview is a completely different discussion. (See Marty Cagan’s concerns below.)

2. Confusing Goals with Metrics

“Since this is a new product, our goal will be adoption.” While technically that might be true for a startup, that is going to drive a team of product-minded engineers to follow you. Your stated goal should be focused on the user problem you have identified as important. “Our goal is to help people meet likeminded people.” Save comments about engagement and adoption for the categories of metrics you would track after discussing what the product will look like.

3. Confusing Strategy with Design Questions

Given how confusing the Google interviews used to be (they didn’t used to tell you what kind of questions you were going to get, and if you asked they wouldn’t tell you) this is an understandable issue. Often a product design prompt can morph into a strategy question. Or a strategy question can lead into a design question. But you can answer these questions with a user-first approach.

Remember, Engineering is the Core Enabler

Marty Cagan has expressed his concerns about the MBA pathology. As an MBA myself, I empathize with some of the concerns but also see how some of it is blown out of proportion by a few “rotten eggs.” But I could say the same thing of engineering and product partners alike who display traits commonly found in malignant narcissists. (“showing up as arrogance, a need for power and recognition, and tendencies to use or exploit others for selfish reasons.)

Marty’s big concerns are (1) equating management with leadership, (2) not admitting what you don’t know, (3) tech as cost center rather than core business enabler, and (4) command and control leadership style. I have seen first-hand that Marty is correct. I have also seen engineers revolt when they see this MBA coming. These leaders don’t get far. So if you worry I have described you, take a step back and remember product-led growth puts solving a user problem at the center.