There are several ways to develop a good intuition on how long engineering work should take. First, you can gain experience in the field of engineering. This will give you a firsthand understanding of the time it takes to complete various tasks. Second, you can consult with experienced engineers or project managers who can provide insights based on their experiences. Third, you can study project management techniques, which often include strategies for estimating the time required for different tasks. Lastly, you can use project management software that provides estimates based on past projects.

This question was asked on the following book summary:

resource preview

Cracking the PM Interview

How do you ace one of the toughest job interviews there is? When you apply to be a Product Manager, you will be asked to make sound business decisions...

Download and customize 500+ business templates and translate PowerPoints

Go to dashboard to download stunning resources

Download

book summary Preview

View all chevron_right

Text this question was asked on:

There is no one right background for PM candidates. The expected background varies from company to company. Amazon prefers MBAs while Apple hires more engineer graduates. Some Google PMs have MBAs, but the company prefers candidates with engineering masters. Facebook looks for a programmer background and startup experience. Companies use technical experience as a proxy to check for three qualities: ability to form a relationship with engineers, good intuition on how long engineer work should take and ability to be self-sufficient about minor technical tasks like data collection. If you don't have a technical background, find ways to develop and demonstrate these three skills. Side projects are the second most important criteria after actual PM experience. Great side projects fill gaps in your experience, demonstrate your PM skills and give you something concrete to speak about in interviews. Choose projects where you can demonstrate customer focus, product design skills, and experien...

stars icon
Questions and answers
info icon

Data-driven decision making is important in PM roles because it allows for more objective, factual, and reliable decisions. It reduces the risk of bias and assumptions, and provides a solid foundation for strategies and actions. It also enables PMs to measure and track performance, identify trends and patterns, and make adjustments as necessary. This approach ensures that decisions are based on real, actionable insights rather than gut feelings or intuition.

Product design skills can be demonstrated through side projects by choosing projects that allow you to showcase your ability to understand customer needs, create user-friendly designs, and solve problems creatively. This could include designing a new app, creating a website, or even redesigning an existing product to improve its functionality. It's important to document your design process, including research, sketches, prototypes, and user testing, as this provides evidence of your design thinking skills. Additionally, sharing your projects on platforms like GitHub or Behance, or on your personal website, can provide tangible proof of your skills.

View all questions
stars icon Ask another question