Why I HATE Digital Whiteboards

Too many people assume that because companies share digital documents to use during interviews they MUST use the digital docs. Or, maybe they grew up using computers more than pen & paper, and so they assume they are better with digital documents. In either case, 99% of people use digital whiteboards improperly for product management interviews.

I have written about this problem before. Here are the top three reasons: I HATE, HATE, HATE it when candidates use digital docs as whiteboards in product interviews (the only exception is estimation case).

1. Sentence vs. Keywords

2. Interviewer Interrupts

3. Interviewer Gets Dizzy

Let me explain:

1. Sentence vs. Keywords: Candidates write sentences when they simply need 2 to 3-word descriptors. You would NEVER write complete sentences in the same way on a whiteboard. As soon as you start writing sentences in a digital document during your case interview, you are done.

2. Interruptions: The interviewer will interrupt (because they can see as you type) when you take longer than they like. OR if it looks like you are going off track, even if you aren’t done with your thought process. And NO, toggling back and forth between showing and hiding a document doesn’t work. You will forget to show when you need it most.

3. The interviewer gets dizzy: When you inevitably have to scroll back up. For example, you need to see the goal that you forgot (because you are nervous) or need to check on a pain point. The interviewer will get annoyed and dizzy, and some might even ask you to stop moving the document on them.

Don’t forget your Sharpie

If you use a pen and paper, you will avoid this problem. The advantages of using (marker) pen and paper rather than a digital document include:

1. Control and Pacing

2. Clarity

1. Control and Pacing: You control which part of your notes they see and when the interviewer sees them. You can better control the pace of the interview as you control how and when they consume your thoughts.

2. Clarity: If you have to write it out, you will use fewer words. (Don’t worry about bad handwriting; they just need to see your structure.) It is also easier to sketch a prioritization grid than to type it in a digital doc.

Since you have to hold your paper up to the screen, consider the following:

1. Use Sharpie and Paper

2. Use printer paper, not a notebook

You need to make what you write easy to read and flexible so you can easily move back and forth between different sheets of paper if you need to revisit a concept.

For all these reasons and more, I do NOT support digital documents as whiteboards for product management interviews over Zoom, Meet or your video conferencing tool of choice.