Comprehend
Understand the situation and ask clarifying questions
Identify Users
Define target user segments and personas
Report Needs
List user pain points and needs
Cut Through
Prioritize the most impactful needs
List Solutions
Brainstorm multiple solution approaches
Evaluate
Assess trade-offs and select best option
Summarize
Recap recommendation with clear reasoning
What is a Product Sense Interview?
A product sense interview evaluates your ability to think like a product manager by asking you to design new products, improve existing features, or solve user problems creatively. Unlike behavioral questions that probe past experiences, product sense questions test your real-time thinking: customer empathy, creativity, structured analysis, and decision-making under ambiguity.
Product sense interviews typically account for 30-40% of PM interview loops at companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Airbnb. The interviewer wants to see how you break down ambiguous problems, identify user needs, generate solutions, and make tradeoffs. There is no single correct answer, but there is a clear difference between structured, insightful responses and scattered, superficial ones.
Common question formats include: "Design a product for X," "How would you improve Y," "Design a feature to increase Z," and "Should company A build B?" Each format requires slightly different emphasis, but all follow a similar underlying structure.
The CIRCLES Framework
CIRCLES is a structured framework for answering product design questions. It stands for Comprehend, Identify, Report, Cut, List, Evaluate, and Summarize. Using this framework ensures you cover all aspects of product thinking systematically and helps interviewers follow your reasoning.
Comprehend
Understand the situation, goals, and constraints
- What is the company/product context?
- What is the business goal (growth, revenue, engagement)?
- What constraints exist (platform, resources, timeline)?
- Are there existing solutions to consider?
Identify
Define your target customer segments
- Who are the potential user groups?
- What are their demographics and behaviors?
- Which segment should we prioritize and why?
- Create a brief persona for your target user
Report
List and understand customer needs and pain points
- What problems does this user face today?
- What are their goals and motivations?
- What frustrations exist with current solutions?
- Map the user journey to find pain points
Cut
Prioritize the most important needs to solve
- Which needs have highest impact?
- Which align best with company goals?
- Use a simple framework (impact vs. frequency)
- Select 1-2 needs to focus on
List
Brainstorm multiple solution ideas
- Generate 3-5 diverse solutions
- Include obvious and creative options
- Consider different approaches (features, UX, incentives)
- Briefly describe how each works
Evaluate
Compare solutions and make tradeoffs
- Assess impact, effort, and risk for each
- Consider technical feasibility
- Think about edge cases and potential issues
- Make a clear recommendation
Summarize
Wrap up with recommendation and metrics
- State your final recommendation clearly
- Recap the key reasoning
- Define success metrics (north star + supporting)
- Mention next steps or MVP approach
Sample Answer Walkthrough
Question:
Design a product for elderly people to stay connected with family.
Comprehend
Before diving in, I would like to clarify a few things. By "elderly," I will focus on people 70+ who may have limited tech experience. By "connected," I will interpret this as maintaining meaningful relationships, not just communication. I will assume we are building for a major tech company with resources to build native apps. Is the primary goal engagement frequency or relationship quality?
Clarifies scope and states assumptions clearly
Identify
Let me identify potential user segments: (1) Tech-comfortable seniors who already use smartphones, (2) Tech-hesitant seniors who find devices confusing, (3) Seniors with mobility/vision limitations. I will focus on segment 2, tech-hesitant seniors, as they have the greatest unmet need and represent a large underserved market. My persona is Margaret, 75, who has a smartphone her daughter set up but only uses it for calls.
Segments users and picks one with clear reasoning
Report Needs
Margaret has several pain points: (1) Feels disconnected when family shares photos on apps she cannot use, (2) Forgets how to use different apps each time, (3) Embarrassed to ask for help repeatedly, (4) Misses spontaneous moments, only sees family on scheduled video calls, (5) Finds small text and complex interfaces frustrating. The deepest need is #1, feeling excluded from family moments.
Lists specific needs tied to the persona
Cut / Prioritize
Prioritizing by emotional impact and frequency, I will focus on helping Margaret see and respond to family moments without needing to learn complex apps. This addresses her core pain of feeling excluded and has daily relevance.
Clear prioritization criteria and decision
List Solutions
Three solutions: (1) Smart Photo Frame that automatically displays photos family shares, with one-button reactions. (2) Simplified Video App with giant buttons and AI-assisted calling ("Call Sarah" voice command). (3) Family Newsletter App that auto-compiles family social media into a daily digest. I recommend Solution 1, the Smart Photo Frame, because it requires zero learning, provides passive engagement, and creates natural conversation starters.
Multiple ideas with clear recommendation
Evaluate
The Smart Photo Frame wins because: High impact (addresses exclusion without learning curve), Low effort for user (always on, no interaction needed), Medium technical complexity (hardware + simple app for family). Risks: family adoption is required, privacy concerns with always-on device. Mitigations: make family sharing dead simple, add physical privacy shutter.
Weighs tradeoffs and addresses risks
Summarize
My recommendation is a Smart Photo Frame that automatically displays photos shared by family members through a companion app. The north star metric is weekly active connections (frames receiving and displaying content). Supporting metrics: photos shared per family, reaction rate, call initiation from frame. Counter-metric: support tickets, tracking if usability issues arise. MVP would be a basic frame with one-button reactions, expanding to video calls in v2.
Clear recommendation with specific metrics
Practice Questions by Category
Design a New Product
6 questionsCreate something from scratch for a specific user need
Design a product for elderly people to stay connected with family.
Tip: Consider accessibility, simplicity, and what "connection" means to this demographic.
Design a fitness app for busy professionals.
Tip: Focus on time constraints and integration with work schedules.
Design a product to help college students manage their finances.
Tip: Consider their limited income, variable expenses, and financial literacy level.
Design a product for remote teams to build culture.
Tip: Think beyond video calls to informal interactions and shared experiences.
Design a product to help people learn a new language.
Tip: Consider different learning styles, motivation mechanisms, and practice opportunities.
Design a product for parents to manage family activities.
Tip: Think about coordination, scheduling, and different family member needs.
Improve an Existing Product
6 questionsEnhance a product you likely use or know well
How would you improve Instagram for creators?
Tip: Consider monetization, analytics, audience growth, and content creation tools.
How would you improve Google Maps for tourists?
Tip: Think about discovery, offline access, language barriers, and trip planning.
How would you improve Spotify for podcast listeners?
Tip: Consider discovery, organization, social features, and engagement mechanics.
How would you improve Amazon for small business sellers?
Tip: Focus on listing management, analytics, advertising, and competition with Amazon basics.
How would you improve LinkedIn for job seekers?
Tip: Consider application tracking, skill validation, networking, and interview prep.
How would you improve Uber for drivers?
Tip: Think about earnings transparency, route optimization, safety, and flexibility.
Design a Feature
6 questionsAdd a specific capability to an existing product
Design a feature to increase Airbnb host retention.
Tip: Consider what causes hosts to churn and what would make hosting easier/more rewarding.
Design a feature to help Netflix users discover content.
Tip: Think beyond recommendations to browsing behavior and decision fatigue.
Design a feature to make Slack more useful for large organizations.
Tip: Consider information overload, cross-team communication, and searchability.
Design a social feature for Duolingo.
Tip: Balance competition, collaboration, and different motivation styles.
Design a feature to reduce Doordash delivery times.
Tip: Consider the full delivery flow: restaurants, drivers, and customers.
Design a feature to increase YouTube watch time.
Tip: Think about content discovery, engagement mechanics, and viewer intent.
Strategy & Tradeoffs
6 questionsMake product decisions with competing considerations
Should Facebook add downvotes to posts?
Tip: Consider impact on engagement, creator experience, and content quality.
Should Amazon allow negative reviews on sponsored products?
Tip: Balance advertiser relationships, user trust, and long-term marketplace health.
Should Google show ads on Google Maps directions?
Tip: Consider user experience, revenue potential, and competitive positioning.
How would you decide between building vs. buying a feature?
Tip: Consider speed, customization, long-term costs, and strategic importance.
Should Spotify introduce a free tier for podcasts only?
Tip: Think about user acquisition, creator incentives, and cannibalization risk.
How would you prioritize between mobile app and web improvements?
Tip: Consider user behavior data, development costs, and strategic goals.
Best Practices
Do This
- +Structure your answer visibly (announce each step)
- +Create a specific persona, not generic "users"
- +Prioritize ruthlessly and explain your criteria
- +Generate multiple solutions before recommending one
- +Think aloud and show your reasoning process
- +Define specific, measurable success metrics
Avoid This
- -Jumping straight to solutions without framing
- -Trying to solve for all users at once
- -Listing 10 features with no depth or prioritization
- -Ignoring business goals or constraints
- -Being too attached to your first idea
- -Forgetting to mention metrics and success criteria
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Skipping User Research
Jumping to features without understanding who you are building for and why. Always spend time on user identification and needs before solutions.
2. Feature Vomit
Listing every possible feature without prioritization. Quality over quantity. Three well-thought-out solutions beat ten shallow ones.
3. Not Making Tradeoffs
Product management is about tradeoffs. If you are not discussing what you are NOT doing and why, you are not demonstrating PM thinking.
4. Generic Metrics
Saying "we would track engagement" is too vague. Define specific metrics tied to your solution: "weekly active photo shares from family members."
5. Ignoring Edge Cases
Strong candidates proactively mention risks, edge cases, and how to mitigate them. This shows you think like a PM who has shipped products.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a product sense interview?
A product sense interview evaluates your ability to think like a product manager by asking you to design new products, improve existing ones, or solve user problems. These questions test your customer empathy, creativity, structured thinking, and ability to make tradeoffs. Product sense typically accounts for 30-40% of PM interviews at top tech companies.
What is the CIRCLES framework for product design questions?
CIRCLES is a structured approach for answering product design questions: Comprehend the situation (clarify goals, constraints), Identify the customer (define target users), Report customer needs (list pain points), Cut through prioritization (select top needs), List solutions (brainstorm ideas), Evaluate tradeoffs (compare options), and Summarize your recommendation. This framework ensures you cover all aspects systematically.
How long should a product sense answer take?
A complete product sense answer typically takes 8-15 minutes. Spend 1-2 minutes clarifying and scoping, 2-3 minutes on user identification and needs, 3-5 minutes brainstorming and evaluating solutions, and 2-3 minutes on metrics and summary. Check in with your interviewer partway through to ensure you are on the right track and adjust pacing as needed.
Should I ask clarifying questions in a product sense interview?
Absolutely. Clarifying questions demonstrate structured thinking and help you scope the problem appropriately. Ask about the company goal (growth, engagement, revenue?), target platform (mobile, web, hardware?), constraints (budget, timeline, technical?), and existing solutions. However, limit clarifying to 1-2 minutes and dont wait for permission to make reasonable assumptions.
How do I prioritize user needs in a product sense interview?
Use a simple 2x2 matrix of user impact vs. frequency, or evaluate needs against the company goal stated in the question. Explicitly state your prioritization criteria, then pick 1-2 needs to focus on. Avoid trying to solve everything. Say something like: "I will prioritize based on impact and alignment with our growth goal. The top need is X because..."
How many solutions should I propose?
Propose 3-4 solutions, briefly describe each, then recommend one. This shows creative breadth while demonstrating you can make decisions. For each solution, briefly mention pros, cons, and effort level. Avoid the trap of proposing 10 ideas with no depth. Your final recommendation should clearly explain why it best addresses the prioritized user need.
What metrics should I mention for a new product or feature?
Align metrics with the stated goal. For growth: acquisition, activation, referrals. For engagement: DAU/MAU, session length, retention. For revenue: conversion, ARPU, LTV. Always include a north star metric (primary success measure), 2-3 supporting metrics, and a counter-metric to watch for negative effects (e.g., tracking support tickets when optimizing for speed).
How do product sense questions differ between companies?
Google emphasizes analytical rigor and user focus. Meta prioritizes bold ideas and social impact. Amazon focuses on customer obsession and working backwards. Apple values design thinking and attention to detail. Research the companys products before interviewing and frame your answers around their specific values and product philosophy.
About the Author
Aditi Chaturvedi
·Founder, Best PM JobsAditi is the founder of Best PM Jobs, helping product managers find their dream roles at top tech companies. With experience in product management and recruiting, she creates resources to help PMs level up their careers.