I absolutely love marketing, and Mattel is one of the best consumer brands out there.
So naturally I’m thrilled to hear that one of my UCI workshop attendees used my materials to secure a coveted offer from Mattel this summer!
🙌
Lewis C. Lin
[Lewis C. Lin Interview Workshops] Inspiring Students at Kellogg /
I am delighted by the positive feedback I received from the recent Kellogg workshop I conducted. It brings me great satisfaction to learn that the explanations I offered resonated deeply with the participants and that the stories I shared effectively illuminated the principles we discussed. Discovering that the workshop not only assisted with interview preparation but also offered valuable guidance for real-life career endeavors fills me with immense gratification.
And then, to top it off, hearing that Decode and Conquer got hailed as a game-changer for those interview preps? Man, that's the kind of feedback that makes you do a little happy dance.
Embracing Mistakes: What One Attendee Said about Lewis C. Lin's Workshop /
I just love teaming up with those MIT students. Their excitement for all things tech is downright contagious, and they've got this endless hunger for learning that's just inspiring.
And it's no shocker when I hear back from one of them after a workshop, buzzing with joy about the chance to soak up knowledge and maybe stumble a bit along the way.
I mean, who wouldn't prefer to trip up and learn in the safe zone of a workshop rather than flounder in the heat of an important interview?
Lewis C. Lin Workshop Nurtures Minds and Simplifies Idas at the University of Washington /
Oh, let me tell you, getting a message from the bright minds at the University of Washington is always a joy for me. You know, our partnership goes way back, and it's such a sweet connection.
He just soaked in the frameworks, you know, like CIRCLES, and gobbled up those corresponding examples. And oh, my heart just lights up knowing he caught onto my knack for untangling those head-spinning complex ideas.
Embrace the Wisdom of This Cherished Product Manager Cheat Sheet /
This photo of my product management (PM) cheat sheet excites and fills me with gratitude.
The well-utilized and cherished nature of my PM cheat sheet is evident through its dog-eared pages and numerous notes.
Get your own copy of the PM interview cheat sheet to begin your transformative journey in product management.
Allow its wisdom to guide you through the intricacies of the field, serving as a valuable companion as it has for many others.
Unlocking Success: How Lewis Lin's Interview Prep Led a Reader to Land a Product Manager Role at Walmart /
I’m excited to hear from one of my readers, a product management candidate who utilized my Lewis Lin Interview Prep community, books, and resources to land a product manager job at Walmart.
It's a privilege to receive feedback from a reader who found value in my work.
Accelerating Career Growth: How My Books Helped Kellogg MBA Students Excel in Product Management Interviews and Beyond /
As a Kellogg alum, it's heartwarming to hear from MBA students who have used my books to excel in their product management (PM) interviews and progress in their careers.
It's an honor to know that my writings have offered practical guidance and insights that have played a part in your success.
[The Product Manager Interview 4 Ed.] Invaluable Prep for the PM Interview /
I'm always happy to hear from my readers. If you're applying for Google, Facebook, Amazon or other PM positions, The Product Manager Interview is the "invaluable guide" you need for complete coverage of the various areas of PM interviews.
Book Summary: Be the Greatest Product Manager Ever /
We are thrilled to have a guest post from Pradnya Bhawalkar. Pradnya is a technology CEO who runs her own software consultancy Persevera Systems. Pradnya holds two degrees from Rice University, an MBA from the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business and a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
A Playbook for Navigating a PM Career
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Wherever you are on your career path, Be The Greatest Product Manager Ever provides a clear overview to help you navigate the path from beginning product manager to legendary CEO.
Packed full of frameworks and life advice, this guide is not just for navigating the interview or the job, but the career and pulls from Lewis’ real-world experience. Below I provided a book summary, with the key takeaways from each chapter.
Navigate the journey from product manager to CEO by embracing growth.
Your titles and responsibilities change as you traverse five distinct levels in the PM career path.
Product Manager. No complex projects, low visibility
Group Product Manager. Managing direct reports, reputation as a skilled communicator
Director of Product Manager. More gravitas. You anticipate problems others miss.
VP of Product Management. You have mental toughness, the ability to build teams, or both.
CEO. You’re the boss until you realize you’re not. You provide moonshot visions that create a revolutionary, new business.
The ESTEEM™ framework highlights key skills that will serve as your guide.
Here are the six steps of the ESTEEM method:
Execution. Deliver results consistently.
Superior communication skills. Be able to tell captivating stories.
Tactical awareness. Develop a “sixth sense.” Learn how to work smarter.
Extraordinary mental toughness. The ability to lead groundbreaking change and to be ready to try the 1000th time, after failing 999 times.
Exceptional team builder. Have an extensive network and love to teach others to do their jobs well.
Moonshot vision. Propose unique, audacious, extraordinary visions, match that to a large, profitable need, and highlight the specific steps to build it now.
Skill 1: Execution
You have to be able to get things done.
Start every new job by pausing your ambition (and judgment) for 90 days. Observe, instead of judging. Stay in the present.
Figure out what to do by not overthinking. Ask your boss what you need to work on.
Practice more system 2 (thoughtful) thinking. Increase awareness, evaluate, and resist urgency. Write write write. Do system 1 (reactive) tasks later in the day.
Don’t confuse being busy with initiative. Be more likable through proactive updates. “Do and update.”
Provide visibility. Your boss won’t know until you’ve told them. Always over-communicate rather than not communicating at all.
Don’t multitask.
Follow the chain of command. Don’t go around your boss. They value loyalty.
Skill 2: Superior Communication Skills
The best communicators use frameworks to share, captivate, and influence effectively.
Situation-Complication-Resolution (SCR).
Situation. Share an unbiased view of current conditions.
Complication. The twist. What makes the listener think more?
Resolution. Propose a solution.
Steve Jobs’ favorite frameworks.
Use zippy words like dreamy, revolutionary, unbeatable.
Rule of Three. Bundles responses in threes. “We have three major product families: the iPad, the iPhone, and the Mac”.
Repeat yourself.
Be Authoritative like a Professor. Use a whiteboard as often as you can.
Tell Good Stories. Remember the 5 Ws and H — who, when, where, why, how. Follow the Hero’s Journey (hero and villain, characters, dilemma, plot, setting).
Skill 3: Tactical Awareness
Build awareness to boost performance.
Tactical awareness. Small differences explain peak performance. When most people zig, you zag.
Individual awareness. Don’t just focus, obsess. Search for personal weaknesses by asking everyone around you — what triggers an emotional reaction? Address your cognitive biases.
Emotional awareness. Stop ruminating about the past and worrying about the future.
Interpersonal awareness. Improve your relationships with effective teamwork. Ask “do I communicate in a clear, open, assertive, and straightforward way?”
Skill 4: Extraordinary Mental Toughness
Persevere over trying moments to be exceptional. How:
Be the last to quit. Many individuals win simply because they’re the only ones left.
Disagree and then commit. Seek out as many dissenting opinions as possible.
Tolerate stress. Prepare prepare prepare.
Watch for errors of omission. Figure out what is left out.
Apologize sincerely.
Play or survive in politics.
Affirm yourself.
Skill 5: Exceptional Team Builder
Build strong, effective teams quickly.
Hiring. Always ask: Tell me a time when you handled criticism. Conduct structured interviews. Always check references.
Onboarding. Your new team members will struggle. Expect to move people through the ODRP model: Onboarding, dissatisfaction, resolution, production. “Hire for attitude. Train for skill.”
Managing. Praise groups in public, but individuals in private. Delegate the right tasks and use recipes. Meetings should be the exception, not the rule.
Promoting. Promote the internal candidate that’s 60% ready. No hotshot can get things done on his or her own.
Firing. Don’t give up too early. Don’t wait too long.
Skill 6: Moonshot Vision
A moonshot is an ambitious, groundbreaking vision, such as SpaceX’s enable human life on Mars. How to get there:
Delight the customer. Clarify the goal. Figure what customers want before they do.
Inspiration comes first. Collect good ideas. Be curious anytime, anywhere. Copy thinking, not product. Brainstorm at least 10 solutions.
Watch your resources. Integrate your efforts across your company. Get into the technical details. Prioritize 40% innovations first.
Lewis C. Lin's Slack Community /
It's been almost three years since we launched the Slack community.
I'm very proud to see all the mock interviews completed, connections made, and most importantly, offers won!
Here's what some participants have said about the interview community:
This community and Lewis Lin is the best. Just heard back from Uber, it’s a yes! 🙏 I had interviewed there twice before over the years, but it wasn’t until I encountered Lewis, his materials, and this community that I was finally able to crack it.
Hi Lewis, I wanted to say thanks for putting together the books and community for interview prep. It’s been extremely helpful to me and many others.
You’ve created a super awesome community, especially the Slack channel. It is the best Slack channel out there! Thanks for all your contributions to the community!
Thanks a lot @lewislin for publishing the books and creating this community. This helped me get an offer.
Your book, Decode & Conquer, has been immensely helpful for me understanding "product speak", since my professional background is actually in Sales & Marketing. I hope you're having a great Labor Day weekend! I'm spending most of my time off practicing for my Facebook RPM interview in about two weeks. Thank you for creating an amazing community on Slack as well to practice mock interviewing!
Hi Lewis. Firstly I want to thank you for creating such an awesome platform for learning for product manager community. While browsing the content of your books on Amazon i was really amazed and really became your die heart fan. It is such awesome content. For people like me who were struggling to find the right content and direction in this domain you have given us a clear direction. Thanks a lot!
If you're not part of the interview community already, sign up following the instructions here.
Kudos for The Product Manager Interview: Lewis C. Lin's New Book /
My newest release, The Product Manager Interview, is out!
I'm happy to announce that sales have absolutely exceeded all of my expectations. Two weeks after it's release, it continues to hold the Amazon's #1 spot for new release in job interviewing.
And readers are finally getting the book in their hands. Here's a nice note that one reader sent about his experience with the new book.
With the winter break around the corner, I can't think of a better book for those who are getting ready for product management interviews...either for now or for interviews in the new year.
Conquer those interviews,
Lewis C. Lin