Amazon PM interview opener: explain the research and practice you did to get ready

Early in an Amazon product manager interview, the interviewer asks how you prepared for this conversation. Answer as you would in the room, explaining what you did to get ready and why you chose those steps. ```hint Reasons beat volume Hours spent or materials read say little on their own. Explain why you chose each step and what it changed in your understanding of the team's customers and of how Amazon assesses product managers. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Would you like me to cover my research into the product and its customers, how I practiced for the interview itself, or both? - Which team or product area is this role for, so I can connect what I learned to it? - Should I keep this to a short overview before we move on, or go into one part of my preparation in depth? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Research on this team's product and customers, including using the product firsthand, rather than general company facts. - Stories prepared against Amazon's Leadership Principles, with the reasoning for which ones were chosen. - Practice for the product parts of the loop, such as product improvement, metrics and prioritization questions. - A specific insight or question that came out of the preparation and shows curiosity about the customer. - Concise, honest delivery with no claims of inside knowledge. ### Follow-up Questions - What did you notice while using our product that you would change first, and why? - Which Leadership Principle was hardest to find a strong story for, and how did you handle that? - If you had only had one day to prepare, what would you have kept and what would you have dropped?