In the midst of Steve Jobs’ resignation as Apple’s CEO, the Wall Street Journal featured an excellent compilation of Steve Jobs’ quotes over the years.  Jobs insights are profound.  I thought his quotes on product design are helpful, especially for product manager candidates who are interviewing at companies, like Google, that emphasize product design questions.  Here are the quotes:

Steve Jobs on Product Design

“We think the Mac will sell zillions, but we didn’t build the Mac for anybody else. We built it for ourselves. We were the group of people who were going to judge whether it was great or not. We weren’t going to go out and do market research. We just wanted to build the best thing we could build.

When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” [Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

***

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.

“Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have. [Wired, February 1996]

***

“For something this complicated, it’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” [BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998, in a profile that also included the following gem: “Steve clearly has done an incredible job,” says former Apple Chief Financial Officer Joseph Graziano. “But the $64,000 question is: Will Apple ever resume growth?”]

***

“This is what customers pay us for–to sweat all these details so it’s easy and pleasant for them to use our computers. We’re supposed to be really good at this. That doesn’t mean we don’t listen to customers, but it’s hard for them to tell you what they want when they’ve never seen anything remotely like it. Take desktop video editing. I never got one request from someone who wanted to edit movies on his computer. Yet now that people see it, they say, ‘Oh my God, that’s great!’” [Fortune, January 24 2000]

***

“Look at the design of a lot of consumer products — they’re really complicated surfaces. We tried to make something much more holistic and simple. When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions. Most people just don’t put in the time or energy to get there. We believe that customers are smart, and want objects which are well thought through.” [MSNBC and Newsweek interview, Oct. 14, 2006]

For our job seekers, enjoy this Dilbert cartoon on the interview process!

SEE ALSO: 60+ Killer Salary Negotiation Scripts

Performance-based interview questions are similar to behavioral interview questions.  That is, the interviewer is using your past performance to gauge your future success.  Here are 20 popular performance-based interview questions:

1. What was the most creative idea you introduced on the job? How did you persuade your superior?
2. Describe a time when voicing your opinion was uncomfortable or could have had serious consequences, but you did it because you believed so strongly in the value of your perspective.
3. Give me an example of the most complex project/assignment you have had, including your role and the outcome.
4. Describe a situation at work when you had to make a decision and were uncertain about the outcome.
5. What do you do when you are communicating with someone and it becomes apparent that they don’t understand what you’re saying or vice versa?
6. Describe a situation in which you developed a group into a strong working team.
7. Communication and leadership go hand in hand. Tell me about a time when your communication skills enabled you to influence the way others thought or acted, even in a very difficult situation.
8. What important goals have you set in the past and how you accomplished them successfully?
9. Describe how you delegate responsibility in your current job.
10. Describe a time when you had to sell an idea to your manager or another authority figure.
11. Give me an example taken from your experiences in report writing, preparation of memos, or general correspondence which illustrates the extent of your written communication skills.
12. Give me an example of a time when you built rapport with an individual or group at work, even when the situation was difficult.
13. Solving problems requires more than good plans; it means taking action. Give me an example of a time when you were able to take meaningful action to resolve a problem.
14. Sometimes it is necessary to work in unsettled or rapidly changing circumstances. When have you found yourself in this position? Tell me exactly what you did and the outcome.
15. Tell me about a time when you had to cope with strict deadlines or time demands.
16. What examples can you recall of instances in which you were responsive to your customer or successful in completing a quality job?
17. How have you improved existing processes and procedures?
18. Give me an example of how you have demonstrated technical or functional expertise?
19. Give me an example of how cooperative interaction with other members of a team has been a part of your work.
20. Give me an example of a time when others have been able to count on you “being there” time after time, project after project.

I couple years ago, I worked at Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle). Going through some old materials from their career center, I found this helpful “PR” plan to preparing for the interview:

Use the PR plan to achieve a successful interview:

• PRedict
• PRepare
• PRactice

Predict what the job responsibilities might be, who will be interviewing you, and possible interview questions and situations.

Prepare stories and responses to possible questions and scenarios. Think of resources that are available to you such as web for information, people who know about the job, annual reports, etc. Review your interview stories prior to the interview.

Practice your responses to interview questions. Your responses should be organized, convey a positive attitude, and communicate your value-add.

Business Week featured a survey showing the most desirable employers, as determined by 60,000 US undergrads. The top five companies:

1. Google
2. Walt Disney
3. Apple Computer
4. US Department of State
5. FBI

Do you agree? Vote on the top companies below, and see our readers’ results.

Wired has a great graphic showing tech talent flowing from the top 6 tech companies.  The big winner: Facebook.  The big loser: Yahoo!

For those of you who have a Google job interview, I highly recommend that you read Steve Levy’s In the Plex before your interview.  Steven Levy, a noted Newsweek author, writes a masterful insider’s account.  He traces Google’s history of success, giving the reader access to the backroom discussions and the insider logic behind key decisions and milestones.  Here are the top three things Google job seekers will find helpful about this book:

Employee profiles.  Levy writes vivid portraits of key Google employees from top executives such as Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt to front-line product managers such as Wesley Chan and Erick Tseng.  Levy also provides more details on influential yet out of the spotlight executives such as Salar Kamangar, Susan Wojcicki and Urs Holzle.  Levy discusses their backgrounds and the roles they played to make Google a success.

Insight into Google’s unique culture. The book explains they whys around Google’s dominant innovation engine, tracing the roots back to the founders and their childhood backgrounds and acknowledging Montessori’s influence on Larry and Sergey’s iconoclastic thinking.  Key decisions, such as Google’s aborted Skype acquisition, multi-billion dollar boardband spectrum auction, and Google’s China policy, are discussed in detail, revealing Google’s unconventional methods to attain unique goals.

Never revealed details on Google technology. Levy discusses key technologies from the secret Google AdWords blackbox to their energy efficient, environmentally friendly data centers.

The Crown Business PR team sent me Stuart Diamond’s latest book, Getting More.  I loved it.  It’s one of the top three books I’ve read this year.  Diamond is a highly sought-after negotiations professor at Wharton.  His book details a 12 step approach to negotiations. The author also recounts hundreds of personal and third-party anecdotes from over 30,000 students who have had success using the Getting More negotiations framework.  Diamond gets credit for infusing a new approach to negotiations, especially around standards-based negotiation and acknowledging how emotions play a role in negotiations.  I’ve read several negotiations books over the years, and Getting More deserves a spot next to Fisher and Ury’s venerable negotiations classic, Getting to Yes.

For those of you who are negotiating a job offer, keep Diamond’s 12 negotiations tips in mind, which I’ve summarized below.

Set Your Goals

Focus on your goals. Many negotiators focus on the wrong goals. Sometimes they try to get even or overemphasize a tactic which many not further their goals (e.g. build the relationship or shoot for win-win scenarios). Always focus on moves that get you closer to that goal.

It’s About Them

To negotiate effectively, you need to know who you are negotiating with.  What are their perceptions (e.g. “the picture in their head”), needs, and how do they make commitments?  Who are the key influencers in the decision?

Make Emotional Payments

People are emotional, and emotional people can’t listen. When they can’t listen, they can’t be persuaded. Use empathy, apologies, and valuing them to get back into a state where they can listen and be persuaded.

Every Situation is Different

There’s no one-size-fits-all negotiations approach. The key is to understand what they are thinking or feeling by asking “Tell me more.” By better understanding the picture in their heads, you can better persuade them.

Incremental is Best

Many poor negotiators ask for too much at once. That scares people who don’t want to take too much risk. Make small steps instead. It builds trust.

Trade Things You Value Unequally

Nobody values things the same way. Trade off items that one party values but the other does not. For example, take on holiday work for more non-holiday vacation.

Find Their Standards

People rarely wish to be inconsistent with their personal or corporate values and policies.  Find out what those policies are and precedents where exceptions are made. Use those values, policies, and precedents to get what you want.

Be Transparent and Constructive, Not Manipulative

The other party will know when you are trying to deceive or manipulate them, and it will hurt your credibility. Be honest and straightforward. Be yourself.

Always Communicate, State the Obvious, Frame the Vision

Poor communication is the reason why many negotiations fail. Make the effort to state hidden/unclear assumptions and objectives.

Find the Real Problem and Make It an Opportunity

The obvious problem may not actually be the real problem. You’ll have to probe and put yourself in their shoes to find out. You’ll have to ask yourself why the other party is acting the way they are.

Embrace Differences

Minimizing differences – whether it’s around countries, culture, or companies – will help produce trust and better agreements.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Preparation key. Decide on the right strategy and use the right negotiation tools.

We’ve just posted our new class schedule for the How to Ace the Product Manager and How to Ace the Software Engineering Interview classes. If you have an upcoming interview for Google, Facebook, or any other tech company, these classes will help you get your dream job.

Here’s what students have to say about each class:

How to Ace the Product Manager Interview

The instructor is a professional.  He knows the material.  His answers proved experience in the areas discussed.

The instructor was very clear and concise. The perfect person to teach this course. It was a well-organized course. I was pleasantly surprised at how well timed the course was, covered everything planned.

The instructor was very knowledgeable and obviously very well qualified to teach the class on product manager interview. I thought, the fact that he had experience working at both Google and Microsoft, made this class that much more relevant to those of us seeking to interview with these and related companies.

How to Ace the Software Engineering Interview

The class was awesome. The instructor covered a lot of useful information which definitely helped my interview.

I loved the insight from a real-world technical hiring manager as to what questions are commonly asked and why such questions are commonly asked.

The instructor was very clear and answered all of my questions.  His strategies and tips on how to get out of trouble when asked a tough question are amazing.

I feel much more confident going into the code / pseudo-code.

SEE ALSO: Google PM interview study class, Amazon PM interview study class, Facebook PM interview study class

It’s no surprise that job candidates are overwhelmed when preparing for product manager interviews. Product managers seem to do it all – from requirements to positioning to analyzing market trends. To help you get prepared for your upcoming product manager interview, here are our tips on how to perform your best and get the job.

Top 6 Product Manager Job Interview Tips

Use a clear framework for product design questions. Product design questions can be a simple critique such as “What do you like or not like about the new Apple iPad 2?” Or they can be an end-to-end design question like “How would you design a toaster?” Before you give your solution, make sure you have the appropriate context and a clear framework for breaking down problem. Some questions you need to ask:

• Who is the user?
• What are the customers’ goals?
• What are the business goals?
• What are the gaps between existing solutions and the customer’s ideal solution?
• What are the different product alternatives?

Impress the interviewer by white-boarding your response. Kintan Brahmbhatt, the Head of Products at Amazon.com, has an excellent product manager design template for white-board interviews.

Be prepared for analytical questions. Some interviewers evaluate analytical capabilities with a series of on-the-job questions. Saeed Khan, a blogger for On Product Management, says “I’d focus on a couple of business or competitive scenarios, related to potential new product introductions. I’d ask them to walk me through their thought process on analyzing the issues and decision making criteria for those new products.”

Other interviewers evaluate analytical ability with hypothetical market sizing questions such as “How many piano tuners are in Chicago?” For market sizing questions, it’s important to layout a thoughtful problem solving structure, communicate key assumptions with the interviewer, and do math under a pressure situation.

Show how you are a team leader
You’ve heard the saying, “Product managers have all of the responsibility, and none of the authority.” As a result, candidates need to be ready for interview questions around leadership and how they influence others.

Jim Holland, Director at Rally Software, tell us that during product manager interviews he likes to “ask questions about team experiences, contribution, and leadership.” Khan adds, “I want to understand how they make change happen at a company.”

Demonstrate your customer empathy
Steven Sinofsky, President of Microsoft’s Windows division explains, “as a PM you are the voice of the customer so you have to really understand their point of view and context.” Holland mentions that some of his favorite questions to test customer understanding include:

• Tell me about the worst Win/Loss interview you’ve ever conducted?
• What the best market problem you’ve ever surfaced and how what problem was solved?
• What was the last product you bought and why?
• What problem were you trying to solve when you bought the product?
• Describe your buying process and what influenced your buying decision.

Showcase your business savvy and strategy
Khan tells us, “I like product management candidates who are not simply focused on technology but also think about the business. For example, something as simple as price or license change can generate more revenue than a big new product release. The same is true when thinking about positioning and messaging. It’s really those who devote time and energy to these ‘non-technical’ issues that stand out and have the potential to be great.”

Don’t forget the technical interview portion
As a product manager, you must carry influence with engineers. As a result, you need to demonstrate sufficient technical proficiency, especially at top tech companies like Google and Facebook. One of the top technical interview coaches on Impact Interview advises that you get comfortable with data structures and evaluate algorithm run times using Big O notation. Your programming syntax does not have to be perfect, but the interviewer expects you to be familiar with these concepts and write pseudo code.

SEE ALSO: Google PM interview study class, Amazon PM interview study class, Facebook PM interview study class