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Good SWE interview tips. For those interested in product management interviews at Google I wrote some guidance at https://hackernoon.com/acing-your-product-mana

Good SWE interview tips. For those interested in product management interviews at Google I wrote some guidance at https://hackernoon.com/acing-your-product-manager-interview-e4f163408cef https://hackernoon.com/acing-your-product-manager-interview-... Context: I'm on the Google PM Hiring Committee and help craft our hiring rubrics.

solarkraft 9y ago
Thanks for sharing. You just got me interested in product management as well.
oil7abibi 9y ago
What are your thoughts on doing PM right out of school? I interned at Msft as a PM and SWE. Now I’m trying to decide between the two rolls.
- dweekly 9y ago
  Congrats on having good options! Several companies (including Google) have very good associate PM (APM) programs that offer recent grads rotations through a few different roles, mentorship, and a strong peer group. Several APMs end up with rapid upward trajectories at the company and many decide to jump into starting their own companies but it is rare to come across people who did this and regret it. Some people go into industry or consulting for a bit, get an MBA, and then join directly as a PM. Another popular route (the one I took) is to be a startup founder and learn what works and doesn't on your own terms directly from your own customers. SWE and PM have very different lifestyles - a PM's day is slammed with meetings and most of your output is email, presentations, spreadsheets, PRDs, dashboards...a SWE's day is more focused on code, ops, design docs - fewer interrupts and more focused. But you likely know this as you've lived both realities already! My advice would be to think about which path suits your disposition and to solve for joy, learning, and impact.
  - rishsharma 9y ago
    Unless you are a TL. A lot of overlap with PM work but more eng execution focused.
rrjanbiah 9y ago
Can you kindly reply to some of questions posted over there? For instance, I too would like to know the path (referral or direct or through interview platforms, etc) TIA

solarkraft 9y ago

Thanks for sharing. You just got me interested in product management as well.

oil7abibi 9y ago

What are your thoughts on doing PM right out of school? I interned at Msft as a PM and SWE. Now I’m trying to decide between the two rolls.

dweekly 9y ago
Congrats on having good options! Several companies (including Google) have very good associate PM (APM) programs that offer recent grads rotations through a few different roles, mentorship, and a strong peer group. Several APMs end up with rapid upward trajectories at the company and many decide to jump into starting their own companies but it is rare to come across people who did this and regret it. Some people go into industry or consulting for a bit, get an MBA, and then join directly as a PM. Another popular route (the one I took) is to be a startup founder and learn what works and doesn't on your own terms directly from your own customers. SWE and PM have very different lifestyles - a PM's day is slammed with meetings and most of your output is email, presentations, spreadsheets, PRDs, dashboards...a SWE's day is more focused on code, ops, design docs - fewer interrupts and more focused. But you likely know this as you've lived both realities already! My advice would be to think about which path suits your disposition and to solve for joy, learning, and impact.
- rishsharma 9y ago
  Unless you are a TL. A lot of overlap with PM work but more eng execution focused.

rrjanbiah 9y ago

Can you kindly reply to some of questions posted over there? For instance, I too would like to know the path (referral or direct or through interview platforms, etc) TIA