Just happened yesterday during an interview with a Singapore company. I was interviewing for fun, didn’t really want the job or the company.
It was the second round after the phone screening. Two interviewers - Indian PM, and Singaporean PM. It started with a bunch of basic questions about yourself, experience. Then the Singaporean PM, who had been sounding arrogant and all, popped a question:
“How would you design a pen for use in space?”
I asked him basic PM clarifying questions like what’s the use case, what’s the outcome. All in all, it’s about taking notes with a pen, and I knew he would go down the route of trying to be smart as to see whether I would consider zero gravity in space, the pen wouldn’t push the ink out blah blah blah.
Without hesitation, I answered:
“Use a pencil”
Wow, the Singaporean PM was furious. I bet he wasn’t experienced in interviewing, but he kept dismissing the solution that it would fit all use cases. I’m surprised he didn’t know there was also a joke about NASA spending millions for developing a pen for use in space, but the Russians just use a pencil.
The next half hour was about him dismissing my solution, and he kept arguing I should have more design thinking, critical thinking, blah blah blah.
The Indian PM was quiet all along. I could tell he was embarrassed.
Two hours after the interview, I received a rejection email. I’m asking for feedback now.
#productmanager #product #pm
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comments
Once a candidate I interviewed shrugged his shoulders and said - just bcoz I don’t answer a Unix question, doesn’t mean I’m not right for the job. And then went ahead n berated a female interviewee in the panel for a Unix system admin role.
If this was not enuf
Turned around n said we were racially biased In the interview and posted on glassdoor n blind.
Now looking at story from both sides - op how did you answer - with attitude or without attitude? I’m neither Indian or Singaporean - just a Caribbean lad who has seen it all.
Storyline blah
Feedback - I was a good boy
And now feel u r being attacked
Outcome - eh