Why the CIRCLES Method Doesn’t Work

Many people come to me after failing their PM interviews because they used the CIRCLES method too literally. The CIRCLES method is a seven-step process to the product design case interview. While it was game-changing at the time it was developed, interviewers have seen too many people using it too literally to answer case questions so they start to look for more.

I coach the S.U.S.S. method which only has four steps that include four key differences from the CIRCLES method:

1. Incorporates clarifying questions into the strategic approach

2. Weaves prioritization throughout (crucial for Meta)

3. Encourages tradeoffs throughout

4. Success Metrics are included

CIRCLES Method

• Comprehend the situation (What? Why? Who? How?)

• Identify the customer

• Report customer’s needs

• Cut, through prioritization

• List solutions

• Evaluate tradeoffs

• Summarize your recommendation

S.U.S.S. Framework

• Strategy

• Users

• Solutions

• Success Metric

Learn more about S.U.S.S. Framework here.

How S.U.S.S. addresses the case differently:

1. Strategy Section

   • Start with clarifying questions, make sure they are strategic not fishing

   • Talk about why this is an important problem to focus on now.

     • For Google, address insights on users and technology

     • For Meta, don’t forget the importance of acknowledging marketplace dynamics and stakeholders

2. Weaves prioritization throughout

   • Users

   • Pain Points

   • Solutions

3. Encourages tradeoffs throughout

   1. Encourage not holding off on tradeoffs, particularly for Google. If you wait until the end of your case you risk getting cut off before mentioning trade offs

   2. You might sound arrogant in your ideas if you don’t naturally speak of things that are huge assumptions or leaps of faith

4. Success Metrics are included

   1. For Google Metrics for Success are typically asked

   2. For Meta, old school interviewers still ask for metrics (though not all)