Lesson 2: The Product Design Goal Section

In structuring the goal section, we will follow a clear, logical process. First, we begin by identifying what matters to people—understanding the core user needs that the product should address. Next, we align the goal with the company’s mission, ensuring that the product supports the broader objectives of the organization. Following this, we focus on engagement, determining how users will interact with the product and what types of engagement will signal success. The output of this section is the goal statement, a clear one-sentence definition of what the product aims to achieve. Every part of the discussion will build toward and support this goal, ensuring that the customer segments, pain points, and solutions align directly with the defined objective.

What Matters to People

Every product exists to serve people, so the first thing to consider when defining your goal is what matters to people in the context of the product. You need to think about why people would care about the product and how it could improve their lives. This initial focus sets the tone for everything else, showing that you are user-centered in your thinking.

For example, if you’re designing a neighborhood app, you might start by thinking about how people in neighborhoods want to feel connected and safe, or how they want easier ways to meet people nearby. By thinking from the user’s perspective, you create a foundation that ties the product directly to real-world needs.

The Mission

Once you’ve considered what matters to people, the next step is to align that with the mission of the product or company. The mission sets the broader context for the product and provides a guiding principle for success. Every goal you set should be in service of that mission.

In a product design interview, for example, if you’re working within Meta’s ecosystem, you might anchor your goal to Meta’s mission of “bringing people closer together.” This ensures that your approach isn’t just solving a user problem but is also helping to further the company’s larger objectives.

By aligning the goal with the mission, you’re not only demonstrating that you understand what makes the product meaningful to users, but also how it fits into the broader strategy of the company.

Engagement

Next, it’s critical to consider how the product will foster engagement. Engagement is a key marker of success in any product design because it directly shows how users interact with and derive value from the product. A product that people don’t use is effectively a failure, no matter how well-designed it might be.

When defining your product goal, think about the types of engagement that matter. For example, are you aiming to drive frequent use of the product (e.g., users logging in daily), or is the goal to encourage deep, meaningful interactions (e.g., users spending longer amounts of time in the app during each session)? By clearly linking your goal to engagement, you show the interviewer that you’re not just thinking about building something functional but something that users will actually use and enjoy.

A common question in product design interviews is whether engagement is always the primary goal when deciding what to build. The short answer is yes—engagement is fundamental because it measures whether people are using the product. While other goals like acquisition or monetization may also matter, they are inherently tied to engagement. Without users actively engaging with the product, neither acquisition nor monetization efforts will be meaningful. Engagement isn’t just a metric; it’s the very circumstance in which product is delivering value and functioning as intended. Even in cases where the product is built to address a specific issue like retention, you’re ultimately building something people must engage with. Therefore, in the context of deciding what to build from scratch, engagement is always the most sensible focal point.

The Goal Statement

With these considerations in place, you’re ready to define the goal itself. A simple formula for your goal is:

We are going to build a product for [the prompt’s problem space] that drives [engagement that matters to people] so that we achieve [the Company’s mission].

Here’s how this might look in practice:

Our goal is to build a neighborhood app for Meta that encourages engagement and connection with local communities to strengthen them and bring the world closer together

This goal statement anchors the product to three things:

1. Engagement – Encouraging local interactions and activities.

2. The Mission – Empower people to build community and bring the world closer together

3. What Matters to People – The desire to connect with their neighborhoods.

Why This Approach Works

By following this structured approach, you ensure that your product design response is tightly focused, strategic, and aligned with both user needs and the company’s mission. Each section—what matters to people, the mission, engagement, and the defined goal—builds on the other, creating a cohesive argument that demonstrates your thoughtfulness and commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes.

Moreover, starting with this clear goal upfront makes it easier to identify relevant customer segments and solutions. It provides a benchmark against which every subsequent decision can be evaluated: Does this idea help achieve the goal? If not, you know it’s not the right fit.

Conclusion

In summary, every Product Design interview must be anchored to a well-defined product goal. By starting with what matters to people, aligning with the mission, focusing on engagement, and crafting a clear, templated goal, you set yourself up for success. This structured approach not only helps you stay focused throughout the interview but also ensures that your solutions are relevant, actionable, and aligned with the company’s broader objectives.

When you make this your starting point, you’re not just answering the question—you’re demonstrating your ability to think like a product leader.