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Product Manager Challenge 2

Part 1 – Product Scenario (Creative + Organizational + Product Cycle Knowledge)

Your team has been tasked with creating a platform that helps students better collaborate on coursework and projects.

    Problem Exploration

      Define two key pain points students face with collaboration today.

      Describe your approach to validating whether these are real and worth solving.

      Vision & Features

        Propose a vision statement for the platform.

        List 3 major features you would prioritize, and explain why (reference feasibility, impact, and effort).

        MVP Definition

          If you had only 6 weeks and a small 4-person engineering team, what would your minimum viable product look like?

          Provide a clear prioritization rationale (e.g., using MoSCoW, RICE, or another framework).

          Part 2 – Execution (Organization + Proactivity + Technical Prowess)

            Roadmap & Planning

              Create a high-level 8-week roadmap breaking down 3 phases (e.g., discovery, MVP build, iteration).

              Assign approximate ownership (e.g., engineers, designers, PM responsibilities).

              Communication & Proactivity

                Draft a short status update email to your team at the midpoint of the project when you realize one of the features may be delayed. Show how you would:

                  Keep morale positive

                  Communicate clearly

                  Suggest next steps

                  Technical Awareness

                    Suppose engineers propose two implementation options for a core feature:

                      Option A: Quick to build but minimal scalability.

                      Option B: More complex but allows growth and integrations.

                      Which would you choose for an MVP? Justify your decision based on product management principles.

                      Evaluation Criteria

                        Organization: Clear structure and prioritization in answers.

                        Proactivity: Evidence of anticipating risks, communicating clearly, and proposing solutions.

                        Creativity: Original feature ideas and thoughtful approaches to collaboration.

                        Product Development Cycle Knowledge: Demonstrated use of frameworks, MVP thinking, and roadmap planning.

                        Technical Prowess: Balanced tradeoff reasoning, showing awareness of product-engineering compromises.

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