Interview question: Design a pen for space

New
So18g

New

So18g
Dec 29, 2021 28 Comments

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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TOP 28 Comments
  • Kinaxis
    kachingy

    Go to company page Kinaxis

    kachingy
    The pencil can break and the graphite debris can pose a safety hazard to astronauts eyes.
    Dec 29, 2021 3
    • Meta
      umlolwut

      Go to company page Meta

      umlolwut
      Must use space pen while also using space suit
      Dec 29, 2021
    • New / Product
      NetworkPro

      New Product

      NetworkPro
      Why do we assume that the graphite tube is fragile and easily crumbled? Floating Liquid drops are bad as well and can be inhaled.
      Dec 29, 2021
  • Amazon
    YPOx53

    Go to company page Amazon

    YPOx53
    Feedback for what ? Interview is about the right answer and the journey to the right answer .. we don’t know how you delivered the pencil answer .. it could be seen as an oversmart answer ..
    Dec 29, 2021 1
    • New
      So18g

      New

      So18g
      OP
      Read my story again on how I first clarified use cases and understood the problem, before arriving at a solution. Solution doesn’t have to be over deliberate and reinvented. 🤦🏿‍♂️
      Dec 29, 2021
  • New / Product
    NetworkPro

    New Product

    NetworkPro
    Pencil in its simplest terms is right, but could have said that, it will use compressed graphite tubes, dispensed by a push or battery operated and a darkness adjuster to dispense the right darkess of the graphite tube. Still it's a pencil, but packaged different 😀
    Dec 29, 2021 2
    • Amazon / Product
      beaver

      Go to company page Amazon Product

      PRE
      Amazon
      beaver
      This guy consults 😂
      Dec 29, 2021
    • New / Product
      NetworkPro

      New Product

      NetworkPro
      No, i am in product. But as a former engineer and after having dealt with a bunch of non tech product BS'ers, now it's all creative BS, as needed.
      Dec 30, 2021
  • Isn’t it like a douchebag moment for you?
    Dec 29, 2021 0
  • 2 sides to each story.
    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.
    Dec 29, 2021 6