Why are Amazon Product Management interviews so different?

Apr 11 16 Comments

Amazon PM interviews seem to focus mostly on their LPs, while most other companies, especially Google, strictly focuses on hypothetical questions to see how you think on the spot? Why is that? Why does Amazon care less about how you think on the spot, solving unique hypothetical problems? Why does Google not care about your past experience? Meta focuses mostly on hypotheticals, but does have one behavioral/experience round. Perhaps a mix should be the way to go?

I heard someone from Google say, they don’t want people solving new problems with old solutions. This makes a lot of sense to me and I agree with this philosophy. However, Amazon seems to be doing pretty well innovating new Product as well.

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TOP 16 Comments
  • Apple
    lapislaz

    Go to company page Apple

    lapislaz
    I’d argue Amazon’s way is better actually for customers. Just compare Google and Amazon output in terms of innovative new products for customers. Maybe it’s not cool on Blind to say Amazon > Google when it comes to innovation but I happen to think that is true.

    What’s the last big customer innovation thing Google did? What about Amazon? Still think both are the same?
    Apr 11 0
  • New
    BNBW77

    New

    BNBW77
    First of all you have to understand that Google and Metas interviews were devised by the same management consulting crew that Sheryl Sandberg came from, so their interview structure is really about thinking on your feet in the same way a management consultant would need to if they were on-site with a new client in a meeting. You need very structured thinking to devise an answer in a split second.

    Amazons approach was more heavily influenced by Jeff Bezos and they believe that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, and that if someone is able to demonstrate their LPs in the past, then they'll be able to demonstrate them in the future as an Amazon employee.

    The different approaches results in different types of people joining each company. In my opinion Meta and Google have too much focus on structured thinking and that anyone that is so soon to jump into a framework to devise a product probably isn't doing unstructured thinking at all. Product Management is mostly about structured thinking, but I think Meta and Google take it to such extreme that it hurts creativity and that's reflected in their products and the lack of true innovation.
    Apr 11 1
  • Tell me about a time when you thought of a product idea and developed an execution plan and sent it to engineering for development in 45 mins
    Apr 11 0
  • Citrix Systems / Eng
    shantabai

    Go to company page Citrix Systems Eng

    shantabai
    Amazon provides LPs so that they can be used as a tool to apply during the job. It kind of makes your job easier. Blindly follow the LPs and you should be safe from PIP.
    Apr 11 4
    • Financial Services Company
      srGn48

      Financial Services Company

      srGn48
      Leadership principles?
      Apr 11
    • New
      JFqs12

      New

      JFqs12
      Thanks. This place is jargon heavy.
      Apr 11
  • Amazon
    bakwas123

    Go to company page Amazon

    bakwas123
    As someone who is very bad at thinking on his feet, it's no surprise that I prefer Amazon's approach here.

    Not only interviewing, Amazon's entire decision making process and mechanisms are intentionally set in a way to incentivize deliberations, more deep dive (often at expense of speed in decisions) while disincentivizing thinking on the fly and muting out loudest voices in the room.
    Apr 11 0