Breaking into Product Management: Lessons from an Airbnb Product Manager
I am a current employee of Airbnb. What’s written is my own view and opinions, and I do not speak on behalf of Airbnb.
Of all the obstacles, the interviews are still one of the most challenging aspects of breaking into product management.
Years ago, I mentioned to a friend and a senior PM, that I was thinking about taking an interview with a big tech company, just to keep my skills sharp and to see what other problems were out there.
“Wow. That’s like a full week of prep,” he remarked.
Yes. It was indeed like a marathon. On top of my day job.
So, I empathize with individuals trying to break in, as the interview process is still a challenge. I’m not a master interviewer, as it can be difficult for me to showcase my value in a structured manner on the spot; I prefer to be a bit more deliberate. In fact, Airbnb was and still is the one interview performance that I pulled off flawlessly, to my own surprise.
Over the years, over multiple interviews both as interviewer and candidate, I’ve started to recognize the desired skill set that interviewers are generally looking for. Being a PM typically requires having enough experience and/or knowledge about a certain subject, or the tech world, to field a variety of tough questions from interviewers — and that’s pretty hard to come by without having direct experience or extensive study.
That’s one of the many reasons why I was excited when Product Alliance approached me about being part of a course that features content from a diverse cohort of PMs.
Product Alliance’s Hacking the PM Interview is a one-stop shop for PMs overwhelmed by all the information they have to prepare when interviewing, or when a PM simply wants to ensure their preparation is top notch for any potential curve balls. The course elaborates on technical frameworks that PMs use daily, as well as some social frameworks that are also used. If you’re curious, topics include:
- The most frequently asked product questions with structured answers from real PMs at top companies (I definitely learn by observation)
- Whiteboarding strategies and frameworks designed to give your responses clarity
- The best ways to stand out to your interviewers
- Techniques to build connections with your interviewers
The Product Alliance team also offers courses on Breaking into Product Management and Core Company Deep Dives for PMs who want in-depth intelligence on actually getting interviews and finding the right company for them. All courses feature PMs from Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and other top companies in addition to my own contribution. I’m grateful to be able to contribute to a solution that solves a problem that I experienced early on.
My Background: How I realized the Product Management path
My name is Victoria Ku and I’ve worked at Airbnb since January 2015. I’ve worked on many products and teams at Airbnb, and I’m currently a Payments PM, optimizing all the ways that guests can pay from checkout to credit cards to payment plans. It’s a complex job, as Airbnb supports payments in 191 different countries.
But how did I end up in Product Management?
I started my career as a corporate finance analyst and later transitioned into financial risk management consulting before quitting to found a startup in medical healthcare. It was in my startup that I gathered product ownership experience, not only in driving the product success and acting as a product manager, but also in handling business and software development. I eventually started working in research and ops at Airbnb, but knew that while I loved analyzing data, having a founder-mindset empowered me to take what I’d learned and make impactful decisions. This drive to own my time inspired me to move into a PM role.
Switching into a formal PM role required the known skills of humility, persistence, and luck. However, it also required the less talked about “skills” of finding mentors and sponsors to help set you up. For those that aren’t aware, mentors are those that teach, and sponsors are those that give you headcount. One person can be both. Generally, any great career requires both.
Building your PM skills
In my own PM journey, I’ve found it helpful to go that extra mile in proving to people I’m the right person for the roles and places I want to be. Every interviewer is looking for something different, and I am prepared to drive the conversation to prove that my skills are an asset to them. When preparing for your interview, some things to think about are as follows:
- Research the company’s products ahead of time; how can they be improved?
- What are the key steps that the company needs to take to get closer to the mission?
- What are some resource constraints that companies face, preventing them from moving forward?
- What are my superpowers and expertise that will help the company achieve their goals?
- How will I measure success with any articulated endeavor?
By articulating to the interviewer that you’ve done your homework and are one step ahead, you’re increasing the odds they will remember you. By leading the conversation through smart questions, you’re proving that you have what it takes to think critically. I brought this passion to all my roles at Airbnb.
What a great PM at Airbnb looks like
As I mentioned, I had great mentorship as the PMs at Airbnb — and especially within Payments — are second to none, world class superstars. Over a span of ~6 years, I’ve observed traits of the most effective PMs in the Airbnb environment. While they seem obvious and easy to summarize, my observation is that they are hard to execute consistently, especially in challenging circumstances.
Clear, Concise Communication
- Being able to crystallize decisions and information so that anyone (leadership or product teams) comprehends you quickly and can support the initiative is hands down an underrated skill. I naturally operate in the details so my mentor literally worked with me for months to a year on how to communicate at the appropriate level through constant feedback. To this day she is still the most concise communicator I’ve ever known.
Resilient Execution
- Regardless of stable or chaotic environments, the best PMs are able to clarify next steps and empower the team to move forward. It sounds easy, but as projects expand in scope and responsibilities move into other cross functional organizations, maintaining clarity for the team to ship products effectively can get challenging. This includes knowing when and who to ask for help.
Ability to Inspire
- Whether it was to dream big, or to hold on, my mentor taught me the skill of a strong narrative, as she could single-handedly turn around a lackluster meeting. Great PMs are able to quickly deduce the problem and narrate a cohesive story that inspires every member of the team to use their expertise to solve it. My sponsor was also brilliant at this during my initial transition.
It can sometimes be difficult to convey these traits in structured interviews, but if you’re able to showcase these advantages, it can only be a win.
Why Airbnb?
Airbnb’s mission of creating a world where people can belong anywhere is well aligned to my own principles, and is a great testament to how leaders can rally like-minded, principled, individuals to further a good cause. In today’s modern world, I love how Airbnb emphasizes human connections as a success metric, as opposed to the more capitalistic metrics we’ve built our society around. It is this belief that motivates me to champion Airbnb’s mission every day. At the same time, my coworkers are amazing friends — from Olympic-level skaters, to viral R&B song producers, to the most talented and whip-smart people I’ve ever ever worked with. Airbnb is not Airbnb without the airfamily.
I hope this article gave you some actionable insights into your interview preparation. Feel free to find me on LinkedIn or leave a comment.
Thank you to Madelyn Taylor for her content strategy wizardry
