Product Sense: Which Tesla Ownership Experiences Exceed Driver Expectations, and Why

Early in a product manager interview you are asked to name your favorite product, and you choose a Tesla car. The interviewer then asks what about the car delights you enough that you picked it, and follows up by asking why each of those things matters. Give that answer. ```hint Delight versus expectation Every car is expected to be safe and to get you where you are going. Focus on the experiences that go beyond what a buyer expects from a car, and connect each one to a specific need or frustration it removes. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should I answer from the point of view of an owner, or is it fine to analyze the car as someone who has driven or studied it? - Which user should I center on: a daily commuter who charges at home, or a driver who takes long trips and relies on public charging? - Does the product include the companion app, the charging network and the software updates, or only the physical car? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear user and the core job they hire the car for, stated up front. - Two to four specific delighters, each tied to the need it serves and to why it exceeds expectations, rather than a feature list. - The design choices behind the delight, such as whether the car, app, charging and software are built as one system. - A balanced view: what the product does poorly and one improvement worth making. - Why the delighters matter to the business, for example loyalty, word of mouth or adoption. ### Follow-up Questions - Which of these delighters will become a basic expectation as competitors catch up, and what should the company build next to stay ahead? - What is one thing you would change about the product, and how would you measure whether the change worked? - Which type of driver does this car serve worst today, and why?