Facebook is hiring an entrepreneurial Product Manager who moves quickly and can help innovate and drive product initiatives. Give us an example of a time when you acted as a highly entrepreneurial PM.
Successful entrepreneurs are self-driven and passionate. They work from a vision, ensuring that goals are met and that resources are allocated effectively. When working for Facebook as a Product Manager, you will be expected to act like an entrepreneur. The interviewer wants to see that you can work quickly and efficiently, helping your team to bring products and initiatives to the finish line as smoothly as possible.
When asked a 'Give us an example of a time when...' question, it's important to remember that the interviewer is looking for a specific story-based example that highlights your behavior in challenging situations. Using the STAR interview method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), you can form a story-based response that the interviewer can follow with ease.
- Situation: Set the stage with the background information the interviewer needs to make sense of your story.
- Task: Continuing to set the stage, give the interviewer an idea of your role and responsibilities in this story.
- Action: Next, offer a detailed description of the steps you took to express your point of view with your manager.
- Result: Last, talk about the specific outcomes that resulted from your actions.
When providing your story-based example, be sure to highlight the traits and characteristics you possess that Facebook leaders will appreciate seeing in a Product Manager.
"I agree that all excellent Product Managers should be entrepreneurial by nature. This means bringing an exceptional level of passion and focus to the company and each project I lead. (Situation) As the PM for Company XYZ, I was recently faced with a major budget cut to a product that was about to enter the development stage. (Task) I have a lot of autonomy and am expected to make many executive decisions in the organization's best interest while also maintaining product credibility. (Action) Knowing that I needed to make budget cuts without impacting quality, I focused on which product features were critical. Using the 'MoSCoW' model, I first went through the product feature list and asked if the product feature was a 'must-have.' Then, I asked which features were a 'should-have,' ensuring those features remained a priority. Moving down the list, I then ask if any product features were a 'could-have,' making them optional additions if the budget allowed. Then, I determined which features were a 'won't-have,' meaning it was time to scratch the idea altogether for this launch. (Result) By prioritizing the must-have and should-have features, we developed a superb product on time and budget. The stakeholders were pleased with our team's ability to change the scope and save the budget without sacrificing product quality. I have been trained in Agile methodology and rely on this training as an entrepreneurial-minded Product Manager because it allows me to act quickly on ideas that are still well-thought-out while presenting win-win scenarios for the company, our customers, and other stakeholders. I believe this approach will work very well with Facebook as it fits nicely with its core value, 'Focus on Impact.' I agree that to make the most impact, we need to solve the most important problems first and focus on considerable challenges rather than becoming swept away in the minor details or inconveniences."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I have always had entrepreneurship at heart, which is why I am self-driven and passionate about building programs and new initiatives. I am efficient but also able to act quickly and decisively when pursuing a vision or strategy, which demonstrates true entrepreneurialship. In early 2019, strict regulatory deadlines quickly ramped up at the bank. One of the critical priorities was moving an immature independent Point of View program from concept to BAU. I immediately saw an opportunity to take an existing regulatory finding and build out a formalized approach using the Centralized IS Governance issue and develop it into a formal POV. The effort required me to reach out to multiple teams, from IS Chief of Staff to reporting teams to Legal, and formally documenting 28 current activities the Information and Cyber Security Front line was performing and obtaining sustainable evidence to support. I utilized the RMF to establish the risk ratings and was able to provide a final product with 25 effective areas and three areas in need of improvement. This report was eventually shared with the regulators and the BoD and became the POV standardized approach for the firm.
Marcie's Feedback
Nice! It's great that you are a self-driven and passionate entrepreneur at heart. The example you provide shows how you took the initiative to drive product changes. Try not to bog down your answers with too many acronyms (BAU, POV, RMF, BoD), though, as that might confuse the interviewer. Be sure to talk in a conversational and easy-to-understand manner.
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