The interviewer is not just testing your product knowledge — they want to see how you understand user behavior and apply design thinking to real problems.
One of the most common questions you will face in product management interviews is: What is your favorite product or app, what frustrates you about it, and how would you improve it? This question is deceptively simple but critical. It tests your ability to think like a product manager — to understand users, spot problems, and design solutions.
The trap is to give a generic or surface-level answer. The actual job is to demonstrate your design critiquing skills and product sense through a familiar example. Interviewers want to hear how you discover user pain points, ask clarifying questions, and prioritize improvements.
The question behind the question: what interviewers want
When a recruiter or hiring manager asks this question, they are probing two things:
- How well do you understand user behavior? Can you empathize with users and identify their unmet needs or frustrations?
- How do you approach problem-solving? Do you have a structured way to analyze the product, diagnose issues, and propose solutions?
Talvinder explains it like this: “They want to know whether you understand the product domain deeply and whether you can offer constructive criticism that goes beyond ‘it’s slow’ or ‘I don’t like the UI.’”
Your answer reveals your product instincts and your ability to prioritize work based on user impact.
Variations of the question you might face
Interviewers use several variations:
- “Tell me about an app you use daily. What’s one thing you would improve?”
- “What is a product you hate but must use? How would you fix it?”
- “Here’s an app name (e.g., LinkedIn, Instagram). How would you improve it?”
- “Design a new feature or next release for your favorite app.”
Sometimes the question may even extend beyond software to hardware or physical products, for example: “Design an alarm clock for the blind” or “Improve a refrigerator for kids.”
The key is to bring structure and user focus regardless of the variation.
The pattern: structured critique and user-centric fixes
Talvinder recommends a framework for your response:
- Name the product and your relationship with it. This establishes domain familiarity.
- Identify specific pain points or frustrations. Be concrete, not vague.
- Explain why these pain points matter to users. Link to user behavior or goals.
- Propose a next release or feature set that addresses these issues.
- Describe how you would validate your assumptions with users. Mention follow-up questions or research you’d conduct.
This approach shows you think like a PM — grounded in user needs and ready to iterate.
Example: YouTube and misinformation
A strong example Talvinder shared goes like this:
“Let me consider YouTube as a product. The thing which drives me nuts is misinformation on the platform. It is said that YouTube is the primary conduit of falsehoods. A mechanism must be developed to detect false news and clean the interface. The next release would be to remove all infringing copyright videos and all fake news and categorize videos better. I would ask a set of questions to the users to understand likes and dislikes and then recommend videos.”
This answer is powerful because it names a real pain point, proposes a concrete fix, and shows you would validate with user feedback.
Why follow-up questions matter
Your first answer should invite follow-up questions. Talvinder stresses: “Ask as many follow-up questions as you can to answer the design questions properly.”
For example, if you say YouTube has misinformation, follow up with:
- “Which user segments are most affected by misinformation?”
- “How do users currently discover videos? What are their pain points in content discovery?”
- “What metrics would indicate success for the misinformation fix?”
These questions demonstrate curiosity and rigor. They also help you refine your solution to be user-centered and measurable.
How to avoid generic or shallow answers
Many candidates fall into the trap of describing features without user context or impact. For instance, saying “I would add a like button” is not enough unless you explain why that matters to users and the product.
Talvinder points out: “You need a substantial answer of why you are building something. Good-to-have features don’t cut it. You must connect the feature to user behavior and product outcomes.”
For example, instead of “Add a like button,” say:
“I like Amazon Music and use it daily. A like button would help the system learn my preferences and improve recommendations, increasing engagement and retention.”
Indian context: domain knowledge matters
In Indian interviews, your domain knowledge can be a differentiator. For example, if you pick a finance app, show you understand Indian financial behaviors; if you pick an e-commerce app, demonstrate awareness of the Indian market dynamics.
Talvinder explains: “If your favorite product is from e-commerce, how well aware are you of the whole e-commerce industry? Interviewers are testing your domain knowledge as well as product sense.”
How to structure your next release plan
Your next release plan should be a theme or a set of top features that address the key pain points you identified.
For example:
- “Next release: misinformation control — features to flag and remove fake news, improve video categorization, and enhance user reporting.”
- “Next release: personalized music discovery — adding like buttons, curated playlists, and smarter recommendations.”
- “Next release: onboarding improvements — simplifying sign-up flow, adding tutorials, and reducing drop-off.”
Make sure your plan is focused, realistic, and linked to measurable user benefits.
MeetingScene: The interview room moment
Product management interview at a Bangalore startup
Interviewer: “Tell me about an app you use regularly. What frustrates you about it? How would you improve it?”
You (Candidate): “I use Swiggy daily. One thing that drives me nuts is the inconsistent delivery times. Sometimes it’s fast, sometimes it’s delayed without explanation. Users lose trust and might switch platforms.”
Interviewer: “Interesting. How would you fix that?”
You (Candidate): “I’d build a feature that provides real-time delivery tracking with proactive delay alerts and reasons. Also, a loyalty program that rewards users for patience during delays. I’d validate this by interviewing frequent users and analyzing churn related to delivery issues.”
Interviewer: “Good. What metrics would you track?”
You (Candidate): “Delivery time variance, user retention, and customer support tickets related to delivery.”
This exchange shows clear problem identification, user empathy, and a data-driven solution approach.
Demonstrating product sense under interview pressure
SlackChat: How a team critiques a product feature
FieldExercise: Critique your favorite app
- Pick an app you use daily or have used extensively recently.
- List 3 specific things that frustrate you or could be improved.
- For each frustration, explain why it matters to the user.
- Propose a next release theme or top 2 features that would fix these issues.
- Write down 3 follow-up questions you would ask users to validate your assumptions.
This exercise builds your ability to analyze products critically and communicate your thinking clearly.
FromTheField: Talvinder on this question in interviews
JudgmentExercise
You are interviewing for a PM role at a Series A fintech startup in Mumbai. The interviewer asks: 'Pick your favorite app and tell me what drives you nuts about it. How would you fix it? What would your next release look like?' You choose Paytm, which you use regularly for payments and investments.
The call: What is the best way to structure your answer to impress the interviewer?
Your reasoning:
PracticeExercise
You are interviewing for a PM role at a Series A fintech startup in Mumbai. The interviewer asks: 'Pick your favorite app and tell me what drives you nuts about it. How would you fix it? What would your next release look like?' You choose Paytm, which you use regularly for payments and investments.
Your task: What is the best way to structure your answer to impress the interviewer?
your reasoning:
AlumniCallout
Where to go next
- If you want to sharpen your user research skills: User Research Methods
- If you want to practice product design questions: Product Design Interview Prep
- If you want to learn how to write product specs: Writing Effective PRDs
- If you want to master prioritization frameworks: Product Prioritization Techniques