[Lewis C. Lin] 📣Announcing a New Course for Amazon Interviews

Last month, I shared a brand new course for the system design interview. We're thrilled with all the positive feedback, especially the excitement around the PEDALS™ Method.

Today, I'm excited to share a different course with you: a brand new edition of our Amazon Leadership Principles Interview course.

The Amazon Leadership Principles Interview, Second Edition

Over the last 10 years, my company has worked with 100s of candidates to secure Amazon offers. Here's what they say:

I am happy to report that I have received a job offer from Amazon. Your coaching program for Amazon has definitely benefited me! – M.B.

Good news, I got the job at Amazon! I would never have been able to get it without you. I walked into the interview confident not only in my responses but also in how I framed each response. Your behavioral questions were spot-on. Using your service was a small investment with great rewards. I will definitely recommend you to others! – B.X.

Got the Amazon offer, with an initial package that was ~$100K more than what I currently make at [a top 5 tech company]. It’s a dream job for the role of Principal Product Manager for a [special project]. – Q.K.

Microsoft called and I am going to get an offer for Principal PM. Tough decisions since Amazon is just about to give me 12 directs. Thank you! – F.R.

I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that I had my final interview with Amazon in Seattle last week. I got the offer! I can’t thank you enough! I have come a long way from being nervous and tentative to the prepared and confident version of myself that I presented last week. I couldn’t have done it without you!!! – B.A.

The course focuses on the infamous Amazon Leadership Principles interview. It doesn't matter if you're interviewing for marketing, product management, or software engineering, Amazon's interviewers will surely ask you behavioral questions, based on their 14 Leadership Principles (LP).

In the course, I'll reveal secrets to the Amazon LP interview including:

• What they're honestly looking for in each LP

• Real interview questions Amazon uses to evaluate a candidate's fit with each LP

• How to answer the question, including specific points you need to address

• How to supercharge your STAR method stories so you demonstrate credibility and likability

• A detailed, sample answer for each LP

Spurred by the increased demand due to the pandemic, Amazon is hiring 100,000 more employees around the world.

This course, at $39.99 USD, will help you secure an Amazon job offer, using the same tips and wisdom I've used with successful clients.

Best,

Lewis C. Lin

PS I've also launched brand new editions my Google PM and Facebook PM interview courses. 🥳

[Lewis C. Lin] Announcing a System Design Interview Course 📣

Brand New Interview Course: System Design

I am excited to announce a brand new online course focused on the system design interview.

This course is ideal for software engineering, TPM, or Google PM candidates who are looking to improve on the system design interview (SDI).

New Course Features the PEDALS Method™ Framework

The biggest course innovation is by far and way the PEDALS™ Method. There's a lot of noise surrounding SDI. My co-author and I researched what was noise and what isn't. From there, we distilled an elegant 6-step approach called PEDALS.

Many of you are familiar with CIRCLES. CIRCLES is a product design framework I reference every day.

Now, I've added PEDALS to my toolkit. As I work with engineers on my team, I reference PEDALS to help them overcome technical challenges and evaluate technical tradeoffs.
 

Additional Course Features

The course is available on our Teachable platform and retails for $82.99. Here are some other course highlights:

• A thorough discussion of technical concepts you need to know (doesn't assume prior technical knowledge)

• Detailed sample answers for popular system design questions

• Exercises with answers

• And yes, a detailed discussion of the PEDALS framework

Check out the new course and pedal past your competitors 🚴,

Lewis C. Lin

P.S. I've also launched brand new editions of the following interview courses, all on our Teachable platform: Google PM, Facebook PM, and Amazon Leadership Principles. 🥳

🎥 [Lewis C. Lin] Official YouTube Channel Now Available

🎥 YouTube Channel Now Available

I'm excited to announce the launch of my official YouTube channel. It's a place where all PM professionals can see and hear my exclusive insights on how to apply my PM frameworks.

I'll also include videos on how you can be a great product manager and move up the PM career ladder.

To kick it off, the first video covers the world-famous CIRCLES Method™. CIRCLES is the only product framework that has been endorsed by recruiters -- at both Google and Facebook -- and Business Insider.

In this 10-minute video, I discuss why CIRCLES is indispensable. I'll also call out traps and other tricky situations you'll want to avoid.

Do hit that red SUBSCRIBE button.

It's the best way to get notified of new videos as they come out.

I'll be releasing new videos every two weeks. The next one on deck: the DIGS Method™!

🔬New Slack Group: Find Participants for Customer Research

Customers! Customers! Customers!

As a PM, we emphasize how important it is to talk to customers. However, finding a target customer for 1:1 interviews is hard. 

To address that, I've created a brand new Slack group to help you find participants for your next customer interview or survey.

If you're a customer-centric PM, this is a Slack group that you don't want to miss. Read my blog post for more details and how to sign up.

This new Slack group is perfect for PMs at companies of all sizes.

💪Interview Motivation

I got this in my inbox yesterday:

Hope this email finds you well. I did around 30 mocks on the Slack and Excel sheet community. Also, I read nearly all your books and Microsoft training material.

I wanted to thank you that I got an offer at Microsoft. I'm joining as a program manager.

You have access to the knowledge, prep plans, and practice partners to interview well. Others have succeeded, so why not you?

Wishing you the best and be the greatest ever,

Lewis C. Lin

Amazon Product Manager Interview Cheat Sheet

SEE ALSO: How to Ace the Amazon Product Manager Interview

Last month, we featured the most coveted cheat sheet: the Google PM Interview.

This week, we're introducing the cheat sheet MBAs need to pay attention to the most: the Amazon PM interview.

Why? Amazon is hiring twice as many MBAs as any other tech firm.

Aside from torrential job growth, there's another reason why MBAs should pay attention to Amazon; it's a phenomenal company to have on one's resume.

This snippet, from my latest book, explains why hiring managers find Amazonians to be the most coveted, right after Google and Facebook:

What are the best tech companies to have on a product manager’s resume?

#3: Amazon
More so than PMs at other companies, Amazon PMs are known to be absolute grinders. Amazon PMs, along with Amazon employees in general, are the only ones known to consistently work 60-hour work weeks. Many work more.

Tough as nails, Amazon PMs will persist longer than others in impossible conditions.

While Amazon is not as selective as lower-ranked companies (partly due to the fact they are on a hiring binge), an Amazonian’s grit is commendable and a big difference maker that edge Amazon PMs ahead of others.
 

How to Download the Amazon PM Interview Cheat Sheet

If I had an Amazon PM interview, and I could only bring one cheat sheet...this one would be it.

Print out the high-resolution version of this cheat sheet, available in both JPG and PDF.

Cheers,

Lewis C. Lin

SEE ALSO: How to Ace the Amazon Product Manager Interview

📖 [Now Available on Kindle] Decode and Conquer, 3rd Edition 📣

Now Available on Kindle: D&C 3rd Edition

I'm happy to announce that the brand new Decode and Conquer 3rd edition, featuring the world-famous CIRCLES Method™, is now available on Kindle!

It features an expanded metrics and execution section with new techniques and examples. Furthermore, I've strengthened the strategy section and cleaned up the typos. All in all, about 15 to 20 percent of the new edition features new, rewritten content.

If you're still on the 2nd edition, this is the perfect time to upgrade your copy for only $9.99.

🍁 Fall Workshop Season

Fall is here. That means I'm hitting the road, visiting schools, and doing my half and full-day interview workshops. Here's what attendees are saying:

I am glad I went to your tech interview workshop! In those few hours, I learned more useful and relevant information than I have in the past quarter at Wharton!

Thank you for coming to Wharton and facilitating a wonderful workshop. I found it incredibly practical, clear, and easy to understand. And I was totally starstruck to meet you in-person. 

Thank you for conducting the PM workshop at Wharton yesterday. I enjoyed it a lot and learned many useful tips for the interviews. I also feel that attending the workshop helped me better appreciate Decode and Conquer.

Ask your tech club or career management center if I'm visiting your campus. If you attend, please introduce yourself. I'd love to say hello!

💪Interview Motivation

I got this in my inbox last week:

Hi Lewis, I received the PM offer from Google yesterday. Your books were amazing and helped me ace the interview. Thank you very much!

Here's what makes this interesting: many believe that you have to attend Stanford or Wharton to get a job at Google or Facebook. This reader didn't attend either.

You have access to the knowledge and prep plans to interview well. All you need is practice.Others have succeeded, so why not you?

Wishing you the best and be the greatest ever,

Lewis C. Lin

📖 [Now Available] Lewis C. Lin's New Book, Be the Greatest Product Manager Ever 🎉

My new book, Be the Greatest Product Manager Ever, is now available! I've been working on this book for the past three years, so I'm happy to now share the book and my new ESTEEM METHOD™ framework with you.

If you're a new product manager, don't miss out on Chapter 3: Execution. You'll want to digest every single section including:

• How to Start Every New Job

• How to Figure Out What to Do

• How System 1 & 2 Affects Your Work

Also, flip through Chapter 4: Superior Communication Skills. Standout PMs have superior communication skills; it's a competency you'll want to start early.

If you're an experienced product manager, flip through Chapter 3: Execution, but devour Chapter 4: Superior Communication Skills. Experienced product managers are more likely to get their first management role if they're strong communicators. Learn essential communication frameworks such as Situation-Complication-Resolution, Rule of Three, and the 5Ws and the H.

Then look ahead to Chapter 5: Tactical Awareness for a hint of what you need to perform to reach the Director level.

If you're a group product manager, review Chapter 4: Superior Communication Skills, but focus on Chapter 5: Tactical Awareness. Tactical awareness is all about the small difference that explain peak performance. When people say, "work smarter, not harder," what they mean is tactical awareness. Chapter 5 is where I share 32 little-known, yet magical tactics. These are the tricks that PM legends do, but others do not.

If you're a product management director, quickly read Chapter 5: Tactical Awareness, but focus on Chapter 6: Extraordinary Mental Toughness. The best directors can lead org-wide change, but doing so requires exceptional mental toughness. Learn my tips on how to persist when others perish.

If you're a VP of product management, skim through Chapter 5: Tactical Awareness and Chapter 6: Extraordinary Mental Toughness. But focus on Chapter 7: Exceptional Team Builder. As a senior executive, the CEO will expect you to build and nurture teams, especially ones that are depleted or suffering from poor morale.

If you're a CEO, skim through the chapters on tactical awareness, mental toughness, and team building. But focus on Chapter 8: Moonshot Vision. Your board of directors will want your inner Steve Jobs to build the next iPhone. It's easier said than done. I share my tips that will increase your chances of doing so.

Want to take a peek? Here's one of the most favorited passages in the book, from the Tactical Awareness section: The One Question You Need to Ask.

Lewis C. Lin

PS Big thank you to all the incredible people who reviewed my book including Aqil Pasha, Arvin Dwarka, Bessie Chu, Bonny Lai, Declan Nishiyama, Eran Lewis, Jacky Liang, Kathy Paceley, and Maitrayee Goswami. I couldn't have done it without you.

PPS Yes, the book is available in eBook (PDF) format.

The Truth About Mentors

Photo Credit: Kapil Goyal/Nan Stothard

Greetings! I finished up an interview workshop in Southern California. In the coming weeks, I'm headed to Nashville and Chapel Hill for more workshops. If you're attending, please swing by and say hello!

When I'm not traveling, I've been working hard on a new book that I'm releasing in 2019. This time it's not about interview prep; instead, it'll be focused on managing your career after you've landed that offer.

Below, you'll find a sneak peek from one of my favorite chapters: finding a mentor. What you'll read will resonate deeply with mid-career professionals. Late-career professionals will appreciate the excerpt if they've partnered with the perfect mentor; other late careerists might regret not having a mentor at this stage of their career.

Finally, those who are just beginning their careers might find the topic too advanced. However, it's something to keep your eye on, so you don't accidentally let a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip through your fingers.

Enjoy the excerpt,

Lewis C. Lin

--

Excerpt from Lewis' New Book

Your typical mentoring relationship
Almost all mentoring relationships are one-sided: the mentee asks for advice, which the mentor provides.

Given this typical dynamic, in the best case, the mentee gains valuable insights and answers. In the worst case, the mentee merely glorifies the mentor’s ego. Since mentors are often unfamiliar with the mentee’s day-to-day work, mentors dispenses generic and usually irrelevant advice.

Although the mentor gets the mentee’s admiration, the mentor can get frustrated too. When the mentee discards the relationship, the mentor can feel used.

When people say, “I want a mentor,” what do they really want? A sponsor. The terms mentor and sponsor are often confused.

Sponsors and protégés
Having a sponsor is different. The sponsor and protégé relationship is a bilateral, mutually beneficial relationship. First, they are well-aware of each other’s work because they work in the same company and organization.

The sponsor needs junior employees to achieve their objectives. Maybe the sponsor needs technical skills. Or perhaps they just need a humble individual who’s willing to do grunt work. The protégé rises to the challenge.

In return, the sponsor rewards the protégé with promotions and political air cover. And because the protégé holds a special place in the sponsor’s heart, the sponsor is eager to mentor and counsel the protégé.

The sponsor and protégé relationship is strong and enduring because they need one another.

Qualifications of a sponsor
It’s easier to get promoted if your sponsor has sufficient influence and organizational control. Sponsors are rarely your immediate manager. There are a few reasons why:

• Your immediate manager may not have enough influence or opportunities to accelerate your career.

• Your immediate manager has limited incentive to promote you to be his or her peer. At best, the manager will have to replace your missing productivity. At worst, the manager just promoted you to be her new rival.

In the rare situation where your immediate manager has enough influence and is not threatened by your rise, that person could be your sponsor.

How does one find a sponsor?

• The sponsor is likely to be in your chain of command. It’d be odd for a sponsor to assign projects and promote a protégé that’s not within their organization.

• Sponsors typically select you, not the other way around. Sponsors have their eye out for capable individuals who can take on special projects. Sponsors do not choose unremarkable performers. Find opportunities to shine and demonstrate your worth.

• When you get your shot, don’t pass it up. Sponsors are looking for protégés more often than you think. Sponsors are ambitious, and they need help realizing their grand vision. Many protégé candidates unknowingly pass, unaware of the mutually beneficial relationship that could occur. A sponsor and protégé relationship will never be formally proposed or documented on paper. It’ll start casually and small, like a request to help with an important project. When you’ve been beseeched, don’t hesitate. Plunge in and give the sponsor a chance.

One last thing: is a sponsor and protégé relationship declared publicly? No. A typical sponsor and protégé pair implicitly understand what each one needs to do and what they’ll get out of it.

Your Prototypical Sponsor & Protégé Relationship: Harvey & Mike from The Suits

Photo Credit: USA Network

[October 2018] Product Manager Job Leads

We're into the fall 🍁, which means my half and full-day workshops are underway. Here's a photo from last week's visit to Philadelphia & St. Louis.

Check with your career development office if I'm headed to your school.

For those of you at Columbia and NYU, I'll be headed your way this week. If you're attending my workshop, please do swing by and say hello!

JOB LEADS
To help you find the perfect PM role, we've created an open source repository to share product manager job leads. Many of these have been sent to us by our recruiting and staffing friends.

To see the full list, or to add positions you'd like to share, go here: bit.ly/pm-jobs.

Experienced Hires
Product Manager | AngelList | New York City or San Francisco
Product Manager | Slack | San Francisco
Product Manager | Robinhood | Menlo Park
Sr. Product Manager | Amazon | Seattle

MBA
Product Manager | Google | Mountain View
Product Manager | Yelp | San Francisco
Product Manager | Walmart | San Bruno

MBA Intern
Product Manager MBA Intern (Fall)| Zendesk | San Francisco
MBA Intern | T-Mobile | Bellevue
Product Manager MBA Intern | PayPal | San Francisco

Undergrad
APM | Lyft | San Francisco
APM | LinkedIn | Sunnyvale
APM | Oath| Sunnyvale

Undergrad Intern
APM Intern | Yelp | San Francisco
PM Intern | Tableau | Sunnyvale
PM Intern | Cisco Meraki | San Francisco

ESTIMATION QUESTIONS: ADDITIONAL PRACTICE
I've created new estimation questions and answers, and I'm seeking reviewers.
It's a great opportunity to get more practice. Email me if you're interested in providing feedback.

--

Wishing you all the best with your interviews,

Lewis C. Lin