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Coinbase Technical Program Manager Mock Interview

Question 3 of 32 for our Coinbase Technical Program Manager Mock Interview

Coinbase was written by on April 18th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 3 of 32

What is the 80/20 rule, and can you provide an example of how you have applied it in the past?

"The 80/20 rule states that eighty percent of the value of the work done by an individual, on a project, or at a higher level will be derived from focusing on twenty percent of the most impactful work. For example, Microsoft found that they could solve eighty percent of the crashes and errors in their software by resolving the top twenty percent of the reported issues with their systems.

I applied this principle directly in my work as a product owner at my last company. I held brainstorming sessions with my business owners and stakeholders to drive out a list of opportunities and issues with our product. We then did an impact assessment and used it to help us prioritize the list. We had much more work than we had left in our budget for the year, so I suggested we apply the 80/20 rule. We identified the top twenty percent of the items we had prioritized and identified those items as our features that would be the most impactful to work on. We left the other items in the list as possibilities to work on once the top twenty percent was complete, and we quickly found that many of those items became non-issues once the top items had been developed and released.

The top twenty percent created a significant reduction in operating costs and allowed for staff augmentation. We were also able to increase sales. Once we got into the forty to fifty percent range of the features, we noticed the impact dropped off sharply and we decided to move resources off of the development of this product and onto some higher priority work for another product."

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How to Answer: What is the 80/20 rule, and can you provide an example of how you have applied it in the past?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Coinbase job interview.

  • 3. What is the 80/20 rule, and can you provide an example of how you have applied it in the past?

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      Coinbase interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate understands this key principle that many companies have adopted over the years. The Pareto Principle is a simple method used to focus workstreams and encourage alignment among employees. Interviewers seek candidates that understand how to apply it properly.

      Written by Karrie Day on April 18th, 2022

      Remember To

      Remember to state the business benefit that was realized in your example. In the event you have not applied the principle directly, discuss a time when you worked on a project that forced you to work on items outside of the top twenty percent that added minimal value to the organization involved.

      Written by Karrie Day on April 18th, 2022

      Answer Example

      "The 80/20 rule states that eighty percent of the value of the work done by an individual, on a project, or at a higher level will be derived from focusing on twenty percent of the most impactful work. For example, Microsoft found that they could solve eighty percent of the crashes and errors in their software by resolving the top twenty percent of the reported issues with their systems.

      I applied this principle directly in my work as a product owner at my last company. I held brainstorming sessions with my business owners and stakeholders to drive out a list of opportunities and issues with our product. We then did an impact assessment and used it to help us prioritize the list. We had much more work than we had left in our budget for the year, so I suggested we apply the 80/20 rule. We identified the top twenty percent of the items we had prioritized and identified those items as our features that would be the most impactful to work on. We left the other items in the list as possibilities to work on once the top twenty percent was complete, and we quickly found that many of those items became non-issues once the top items had been developed and released.

      The top twenty percent created a significant reduction in operating costs and allowed for staff augmentation. We were also able to increase sales. Once we got into the forty to fifty percent range of the features, we noticed the impact dropped off sharply and we decided to move resources off of the development of this product and onto some higher priority work for another product."

      Written by Karrie Day on April 18th, 2022

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