<aside> ➡️ Hi there 👋🏻

Facing technical questions in PM interviews without a tech background can be nerve-wracking. But don’t worry! Interviewers are trying to assess your communication and collaboration skills, not your ability to write code. They want to see how well you can work with engineers to bring ideas to life.

In this resource, I’ve put together 13 examples of technical questions that PMs might get asked and shared my approach to how I would go about solving them effectively, even without deep technical knowledge.

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Use these 9 proven tips to prepare for technical questions in PM interviews -

• Practice fundamentals of tech topics relevant to PMs like SQL, data analytics, design, experimentation etc.

• Familiarize yourself with platforms and tools used in the industry.

• Articulate your approach and rationale for solving technical problems.

• Highlight your ability to think critically and strategically.

• Don't hesitate to ask questions if the requirements seem unclear.

• Show your ability to clarify and understand technical concepts.

• Discuss about incorporating cross-functional input in real initiatives.

• Practice answering technical questions through mock interviews with peers or mentors.

• Remain calm and confident during the interview, even if you are unsure about a question.

Example Tech Questions -

Question 1:

We're considering adding a real-time chat feature to our app. How would you approach building this feature from a technical perspective?

Approach:

• Clarify & narrow the scope:
  • “Thanks for the question! To get started, can we clarify if this chat feature will be one-on-one or group chats? Additionally, is this for the mobile app or the web version?" (This focuses the conversation and shows initiative).
• Explain basic concept:
  • “From a high level, a real-time chat feature would likely involve a database to store messages, a server to handle user connections and message delivery, and a client-side component (mobile app or web app) for users to interact." (Demonstrates understanding of core components).
• Highlight collaboration:
  • “To fully understand the technical implications, I'd work closely with the engineering team. We would need to discuss scalability considerations for a large user base and choose appropriate technologies for the server and client-side implementation." (Shows focus on collaboration).

Question 2:

Our app is experiencing slow loading times. How would you diagnose the issue?