What's your favorite product?

In this article, I’ll walk you through the mock interview above, where I tackled the classic product management question, “What’s your favorite product?” This is a question designed to test your product sense, and I’ll break down my thought process, what went well, what didn’t, and key takeaways for you.

About the Question

The “favorite product” question might seem deceptively simple, but it’s intended to take you out of your comfort zone. The real challenge lies in how you articulate your thoughts, which is why I framed the question within a broader product design context.

While this question is open-ended, it can be approached like any other product management interview once the interviewer moves on the next stage, which is about improving the product or coming up with a competitor for it.

The choice of product is, naturally, up to you. Whether you prepare some products in advance is also up to you. On the one hand, preparing in advance will help you deliver substance, but it may hurt your style if you come off sounding overly practiced or awkward.

Keep in mind, there are variations on the “choose your own adventure” theme, such as “least favorite product” or simply choosing a random product. (like improving or replacing the product). You should approach each of these in roughly the same way.

From Personal Opinion to Product Management Opinion

The purpose of my introduction was to step away from expressing a purely personal opinion and instead showcase my product sense. Rather than simply stating which product I liked, I aimed to demonstrate how I think about product value, user engagement, and the impact on the broader market. This approach allowed me to highlight my ability to assess products from a strategic perspective, which is essential for a product manager. By framing the response in this way, I moved the focus from personal preferences to showcasing the skills that drive product decisions.

To accomplish this, it’s important to shift the focus away from expressing my own preferences—such as saying, “I like this feature”—and instead highlight the customer-centric mindset behind the product’s design. For instance, when discussing a feature of Google Maps, I could emphasize how the product managers behind the development recognized a critical user need: people must understand where they are relative to other things in their environment. By leveraging search and location data, Google Maps doesn’t just help people navigate; it revolutionizes how they discover and explore the world around them. This approach demonstrates that I appreciate how the product team prioritized user insights and crafted solutions that anticipate customer behaviors and expectations.

Remember, approach this in a way that is authentic to you. While you want to depersonalize this a bit, you should still discuss a topic that you are really motivated about from your professional point of view.

Choosing a Product

I chose Google Maps as my favorite product because I am very familiar with it and very likely ran the mock with a peer in advance. Instead of focusing solely on its functionality, I highlighted the customer value and long-term impact it provides. My emphasis was on how Google Maps revolutionized wayfinding, making it indispensable to millions of users around the world.

The goal in this section was to show that I’m a customer-focused product manager. I framed the product’s success not just through my own use of it, but through its broad societal impact—a key approach in product management interviews. By doing this, I demonstrated that I could think beyond individual features and tie the product’s success to user engagement and adoption.

Structuring the Response

After asking clarifying questions—such as whether I should focus on a specific geography, like the San Francisco Bay Area—I transitioned into defining a structured framework for my response. This framework included goals, customers, pain points, and solutions, and I made sure to explain why each element was critical to the product design process.

By starting with the goal, I ensured the conversation was focused on outcomes and alignment with the product’s mission. Identifying the customers allowed me to hone in on a specific group whose needs would drive the product design. Exploring pain points helped to surface unmet needs or challenges, and the solutions were then tailored to resolve these issues effectively. This structure kept the conversation focused and demonstrated my ability to think strategically about product improvements.

Goal Setting

1. Defining Success: Before jumping into potential improvements, I first defined what success would look like for any changes to Google Maps. I broke this down into three key areas:

• Enhancing user engagement: Ensuring that any improvement drives active use.

• Aligning with Google’s mission: Leveraging Google’s mission of making information universally accessible.

• Expanding customer value: Building on the existing product’s ability to help users navigate the world by introducing innovative information.

These pillars of success ensured I had a clear focus for my improvements, showing the interviewer I was thinking about outcomes from the start.

Defining Customer Groups

In defining the customer groups, I focused on identifying distinct segments based on their specific needs and context of use. Rather than casting a wide net, I narrowed down to three meaningful groups: people in unfamiliar locations, commuters, and those at rest (i.e., planning activities from home). Each group was chosen for its unique interaction with Google Maps. For instance, users in unfamiliar locations rely on navigation tools to feel oriented, while commuters need real-time traffic updates, and those at rest require information on nearby points of interest. By targeting unfamiliar location users—a group most likely to experience high levels of disorientation and dependency on maps—I aimed to highlight a segment with critical pain points that could be addressed with innovative solutions. This approach allowed me to focus on user needs while creating space for scalable product improvements.

Identifying and Prioritizing Pain Points

When identifying pain points for Google Maps, I initially broke down the user journey into three phases: before, during, and after the journey. This approach helps ensure you cover the full scope of user needs in a product design interview.

However, I hit a snag here—I wasn’t able to quickly identify a significant “after” pain point. This is where I stumbled, and it happened because I wasn’t taking brief notes to keep myself anchored during the interview. This misstep is a valuable reminder: always take notes in your mock interviews and real interviews to avoid losing your train of thought.

Despite the slip, I did succeed in identifying a pain point around parking during the “during” phase of the journey. The issue of not understanding parking signs, especially in new locations, became the focus of my solution.

Offering a Credible, Practical Solution

Once I identified the parking issue, I presented three possible solutions using Google Maps’ existing technologies:

1. Parking prediction: Using Waymo’s real-time data to predict which parking spots are likely to be open.

2. Road sign interpretation: Leveraging computer vision technology to interpret parking signs and alert users when they can’t park in a spot.

3. Safety alerts: Suggesting parking locations based on safety data, such as the frequency of car break-ins in certain areas.

I ultimately settled on road sign interpretation as the most practical solution because of its reliability and scalability. By using Google’s computer vision technology, the app could provide real-time feedback on parking restrictions, saving users from fines or towing—a feature that fits within Google’s mission of making information accessible and actionable.

Tying It Back to the Goal

In my conclusion, I tied everything back to the goal I had defined at the start. The solution would:

• Enhance engagement: Users would interact with Google Maps not just for directions but for parking assistance.

• Use innovative information: By incorporating real-time parking data, Google Maps could offer a unique value.

• Align with Google’s mission: The feature would provide useful, accessible information to people navigating unfamiliar places.

This final step is critical in product management interviews: always conclude by tying your solution back to the overall product goal. It shows you have a holistic understanding of the product’s role in users’ lives and the company’s mission.

Key Takeaways

This mock interview gave me a chance to show how to handle open-ended product management interview questions. Here are my takeaways:

• Start with substance: Choose a product you genuinely admire and link it to customer value.

• Use structure: Break down your answer into clear steps, and don’t forget to define success upfront.

• Take notes: Avoid stumbles by taking brief notes during your response. This will help you stay anchored and ensure you don’t miss key details.

• Tie it all back: Always circle back to the product’s goal and mission in your conclusion.

By keeping these principles in mind, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle your next mock interview or product design interview with confidence.