How does the Product Manager make decisions? PM Interview

One-way door and Two-way door decisions and how they help Product managers in making critical decisions. Behavioral questions for Product Managers.

In product management, the concepts of “two-way door” and “one-way door” decisions are used to categorize the reversibility and impact of decisions.

For Product Managers, decision-making is a critical aspect that significantly impacts the product’s direction and success. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, popularized the concept of one-way and two-way door decisions to categorize decisions based on their reversibility and consequences.

In a famous Interview, Jeff Bezos explains how individuals should be empowered to make two-way door decisions, and One-way door decisions should be made with multiple stakeholders in a room and taking 360-degree consideration.

Decision-making related to the product becomes a PM’s core responsibility. A strategy-level decision might be made by Product Leaders and Company management.

But decisions like, should we limit the number of text to 1000 words for description? Is something PMs have to make on their own.

Here’s a practical example for each decision-making as a Product Manager:

Two-Way Door Decision

Situation: A Product Manager is considering introducing a new feature of generating user descriptions of the Product using generative AI, using user reviews. This feature is based on recent user feedback and seems to have potential, but its reception and utility are uncertain.

How Will a PM make Decision in such case?

The PM should follow a simple framework to take decisions in such cases.

1. What was the decision based on? The product Analyst/User comes to you, with the feedback that we should do this/build that.
2. Ask why? Why should we build it? Do we have enough supporting evidence to build it? Will it help majority of the users? What problem will it solve?
3. Is it a two way door decision? Is there a option to go back to the original state? Can changes be reversed if things don’t go as planned?
4. Make sure to track/evaluate the performance of the feature. Using A/B test and feature Analytics.
5. If the feature provides negative feedback then roll back the changes, other Win for the team.

Application of Two-Way Door Decision-Making:

• The Product Manager decides to implement the feature as a temporary beta test or a limited-time feature.
• The decision is considered a “two-way door” because if the new feature doesn’t perform well or receive positive feedback, it can easily be rolled back or adjusted without significant long-term consequences.
• The PM monitors user engagement metrics, collects feedback, and then makes a data-informed decision on whether to fully integrate, modify, or remove the feature.

One-Way Door Decision

Situation: The Product Manager along with the Tech lead is contemplating a major change in the product’s core architecture and code language to incorporate a new technology and writing code in another language, that promises better performance and future scalability. This change would involve a significant overhaul of existing systems and considerable investment.

How Will a PM make Decision in such case?

1. One way door decisions are not merely depended on Product Managers. It requires a larger audience to think and contribute.
2. One way door decisions impacts the entire organization and there is no going back.
3. Make a list of people who should be involved. Keep every one informed of the decisions, and don’ rush making this decisions.
4. Make sure these decisions are made taking available Insights, Experince and Future perspective into consideration.

PS: Most times PM’s are less involved in One way door decisions. These are usually taken by Group Product Managers, VP of Product, Director of Products etc.

Application of One-Way Door Decision-Making:

• This decision is a “one-way door” because once implemented, reverting would be costly, time-consuming, and disruptive.
• The Product Manager conducts thorough research, involves technical experts, considers the long-term impact on the product roadmap, and evaluates the financial implications.
• They may also seek high-level approvals and create detailed plans for implementation and risk mitigation.

After careful consideration of all these factors, the PM decides whether to proceed with the architectural change.

Interview Questions About Decision-Making for Product Managers

Two Door decisions are also great frameworks to be used in Behavioral product interviews. You can use this practical framework and tell stories using the framework.

This not only elevates your storytelling but also improves thoughts structuring and you come out as a more structured candidate.

When interviewing for a product management role, you might encounter questions like:

For Two-Way Door Decisions:

• Can you give an example of a time you made a low-risk, reversible decision? What was the outcome?
• How do you test and validate new features before a full-scale roll-out?
• Describe a situation where you had to quickly pivot or reverse a decision. What led to that, and how did you handle it?

For One-Way Door Decisions:

• Tell us about a high-stakes decision you made. What was the process you followed?
• How do you assess and manage the risks associated with significant changes to a product?
• Can you discuss a time when you made a decision that was not well received? How did you address the repercussions?

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End Points:

Two-way door Decisions are less risky and reversible. They’re useful for testing new ideas or making incremental changes.

One-way door Decisions are high-stakes and have long-lasting consequences, requiring thorough deliberation and planning.

In both scenarios, the Product Manager’s role is to weigh the risks and benefits, make informed decisions, and manage the implementation and its consequences effectively.