Ben Erez is a former PM at Meta, the first PM at three different startups, and now a full-time interview coach and educator. In this episode, Ben shares the five-part framework he developed after studying dozens of mock interviews, interviewing 50+ candidates at Facebook, and coaching hundreds of PMs through their job searches. It’s designed to help you master one of the most misunderstood stages of the PM interview loop: the product sense interview.

If you’re a premium subscriber:

Add the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.com: https://add.lennysreads.com/

Subscribe: 

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj

In this episode, you’ll learn

• Ben’s five-part framework for acing product sense interviews

• How to set assumptions and lead with structure

• How to define a clear mission that guides every decision

• A process for segmenting users and developing strong personas

• How to map user journeys and surface high-impact problems

• A method for brainstorming, prioritizing, and scoping solutions

• Lessons from mock-examples (Claude, Meta, and Netflix)

• Common pitfalls to avoid, and how to practice effectively

References

• AI Practice Copilot for Product Sense & Analytical Thinking Interviews: https://payhip.com/b/LCkbr

• Attentive: https://www.attentive.com/

• How to Ace Product Sense PM Interviews: https://maven.com/p/af5908/how-to-ace-product-sense-pm-interviews

• Lewis Lin’s PM Question Bank: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rz10oEeLx-eGnilahKczYPhGfCUzIEKL-xRnjoQ-SX4/edit?gid=1024620532#gid=1024620532

• Product Sense Interview Template: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1-jdZAVtLuk8dUnf9peUKlNkguSOuAk5VdMPTmgr9Kns/edit

• Recorded Mock of PS Response: https://grain.com/share/recording/be7899c9-f09e-4a18-93ec-ef40e7a26fac/Sex5ycmtyfFMOytY9K16yYQAx5p7lEn7X8D0fy2b and the Completed Template: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WV2kQNdM_kKHvr6Wsq0Znx7-r1gLK0qTOcuZg3LPqwo/edit?usp=sharing

• The Definitive Guide to Mastering Analytical Thinking Interviews: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/8fe3dc12-1ed3-4876-a73d-2be943f18204

Follow Lenny: 

• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcast

Follow Ben: 

• Twitter/X: https://x.com/ViableBen

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/

• Newsletter: https://benerez.substack.com/

About

Welcome to Lenny’s Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe