The role is to align those various parties in the direction of success. Imo, that success is a function of the respective stage of the company. The conversation

The role is to align those various parties in the direction of success. Imo, that success is a function of the respective stage of the company. The conversation that goes, why do you believe in this company, what product risks did you take that didn't pan out and why, what can you tell me about our customers, and what are the factors in the growth trajectory of our company, should be a fast filter. Reality is by the 2-3rd interview, a PM candidate necessarily knows as much about your product or company as a prospective customer and the least technical sales person, and presumably they would buy what you are selling. Get them to sell your product back to you.If you are an enterprise interviewer, you're basically looking for polish and acumen, and if you are a startup I'd recommend looking for self awareness. A mismatch is basically a time bomb, so understand your own business. The best PMs I have ever met were amazing because part of being that smart is they were strategic about the products they took on. This upstream eye for growth and the ability to be a part of it, which they had consciously developed with experience (and some, mainly elite, education), positioned them for success because growth beats literally everything. Ask what they think the factors in the growth trajectory of your product are.