There's something I forgot to tell you

So I forgot to tell you something.

That's right. I launched another book. It's called Interview Math. And I'm grateful that it's skyrocketed up to the top 1% of all books sold on Amazon.com.

(The Europeans love it a lot. Go figure.)

What is Interview Math?

Interview Math are those pesky quantitative case interview questions. Stuff like: 

• Market Sizing: Estimate the total industry wide sales of lipstick in the U.S. 
• Revenue Estimate: Estimate annual sales of Starbucks' retail stores in the United States. 
• Price Elasticity: The price of a one-way ticket from Seattle to New York is $400. Should JetBlue raise the price to $450? 
• Lifetime Value: What is the lifetime value of an AMEX card holder over the next three years
• Profitability: A running shoe manufacturer sells shoes for $100 a pair. Their costs include $10 in materials and $5 in labor. They have $1 million dollars in monthly operating costs. If they sell 30,000 pairs a month, what is the monthly profit?

The world is getting more analytical and numbers-oriented. If you're interviewing at one of the highly sought after positions below, you'll need to master these Interview Math questions:

▪ Management Consulting: McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte
▪ General Management: Capital One, Taser
▪ Marketing: General Mills, Google, Hershey
▪ Software Engineering: Goldman Sachs, Microsoft
▪ Finance: American Airlines, Best Buy, JetBlue

Check out Interview Math for helpful frameworks to tackle these questions, including 50 sample answers and questions.

NEW On-Demand Interview Preparation Courses

I'm also excited to announce some new interview preparation courses, now available on Interview Steps:

Management Consulting

▪ McKinsey Interview Questions & Answers
▪ BCG Interview Questions & Answers
▪ Bain Interview Questions & Answers

Graduate School Admissions

▪ How to Ace the Medical School Interview
▪ How to Ace the Nursing School Interview

Cheers,

Lewis C. Lin

PS I have a limited FREE offer planned for Labor Day weekend. It's something you won't want to miss.

Photo credit: Reddit

Graduation Day Edition — plus 1 FREE event, 3 new courses, 9 killer articles

Welcome to the latest edition of my offbeat career newsletter!

Graduation Day is just around the corner for millions of folks around the world. I've carefully picked 9 AMAZING product management, marketing and negotiation articles below, focused on those who are about to enter or reenter the workforce.

I'm also excited to announce the release of three new interview prep courses, now available on Interview Steps:

▪ How to Ace the Uber Interview
▪ How to Ace the Facebook Product Manager Interview
▪ Technical Concepts For Non-Technical Product Management & Marketing Candidates
 

Let's go...

Cheers,

Lewis C. Lin

PS If you're in SEATTLE, I'd love to meet you in person! You can find me on May 28th, speaking about how YOU can be a great product manager. There will beFREE food and drinks. Spots are LIMITED, so sign up now. Thanks TUNE for hosting, and yes, they're hiring!

THREE PRODUCT MANAGEMENT ARTICLES WORTH READING 
Hiring Your First Product Manager 
Are you angling to be the first product manager hire at a startup? Understand what CEOs are looking for in their first product manager hire.

What Really Matters: Focusing on Top Tasks 
If the key to stellar product design is process, then read this thoughtful article from Gerry McGovern on how to apply his innovative process to prioritizing product backlogs.

Product Management Trends 2015 
Based on a survey of 100+ product managers, this PDF offers insights on the day-in-the-life and top challenges for PMs in 2015.

THREE MARKETING ARTICLES WORTH READING 
The Many Ways of Growing Coffee 
Launching a new product? Kellogg professor, Eric Anderson, offers a handy three question checklist AND a brilliant analysis on how Keurig used its marketing prowess to increase the price of coffee makers from $35 to $90.

Inside the Advertising Industry: A Reading List 
Looking for some good marketing reads this Memorial Day weekend? Longreads recommends their six favorite long form articles on the advertising industry ranging from the creepiness of the Burger King king to Feminist Super Bowl Ads to an examination of Gap's "Dress Normal" ad.

Build Your Email List 
Looking to improve your email marketing skills? Campaign Monitor offers an excellent 6 chapter guide filled with tips and tactical best practices.

A NEGOTIATION ARTICLE WORTH READING 
Negotiating Salary at a Startup Versus a Corporation 
Startup pay packages might not be great, but if you get creative, it might pay off.

Photo credit: HelpsGood

Viewer's Guide to 2015 Super Bowl Ads

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl! For those of you watching the game, studies say that 78% of you will be looking forward to the ads. To increase your viewing pleasure, I've penned a Viewer's Guide to the 2015 Super Bowl Ads.

Read on to impress your friends and critique ads like a marketing guru. And for those of you with an upcoming marketing interview, you can use the examples below to answer that dreaded marketing interview question, “Tell me your favorite (or least favorite) TV ad.”

EVALUATING AN AD 
I have a six-point checklist for critiquing ads. But beer, guacamole, and friends can impair memory. To make it easy to remember, I've shortened it to three and paired it with a football theme, just for the big game:

M EMORABLE 
O H, PRODUCT! 
B ENEFIT

MEMORABLE 
The ad has to grab attention. The viewer is making a choice of whether they’re going to stick around or grab a beer. And if they've stuck around, is the ad memorable enough for them to think, discuss, and tweet with their friends?

OH, PRODUCT! 
Creative types tend to produce tear-jerking, Oscar-worthy ads. But this is the Super Bowl, not Sundance. The point of an ad is to pitch products. It has to provide the viewer an idea of what’s being promoted as well as a clear brand association.

Tablet commercials are my biggest pet peeve. All of them feel similar: inspirational soundtrack and images of a person using a tablet – filled with hope and potential. Heck would I know if it’s promoting an iPad, a Nexus, a Galaxy Tab, or Kindle Fire. Commercials that don’t clarify what’s been promoted won’t drive sales.

BENEFIT 
Lastly, the ad has to explain the product benefit AND produce evidence why they can back up that claim. It’s not enough to say that you've got an ad for Coca-Cola, Camry, or Charmin. An ad should tell consumers why they should choose their brand over the competition.

Take Volvo for example. You buy a Volvo because their cars are safer than others. They invented the seat belt and reinforce their car with the strongest steel possible. If you’re in the market for a safe, family car, it’s Volvo all the way.

ADS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR 
I've scoured the web for 2015 Super Bowl commercials. Keep your eye out for these three ads:

FAN FAVORITE: BUDWEISER’S "LOST DOG" (AKA "PUPPY LOVE 2.0") 
Budweiser's Super Bowl ad commercial last year, "Puppy Love," was the champ with a whopping 56 million views on YouTube. For 2015, Budwesier decided to build on Puppy Love's success with its new ad, "Lost Dog," which features the familiar friendship story between a puppy and a Clydesdale.

"Lost Dog" will be just as popular as last year's ad, driving strong brand awareness. However, it's unlikely the ad will drive incremental sales as the connection between the ad and the beer product is too subtle and vague.

Lewis’ Scorecard 
Memorable: A- 
Oh! Product: F 
Benefit: D

View the Ad

BEST CELEBRITY PARODY: T-MOBILE’S "SAVE THE DATA" 
Kim Kardashian pokes fun of herself, selfies, and public service announcement ads with T-Mobile's 2015 30 second spot on the Super Bowl.

The ad is unforgettable. And the product offering, T-Mobile's new Data Stash feature, and benefit is clear.

Lastly, T-Mobile's use of celebrity parody is particularly on-target, fitting the anti-establishment brand image that T-Mobile began in 2012 with its Uncarrier marketing campaign. Marketers take note: brand and message consistency matters!

Lewis’ Scorecard 
Memorable: B+ 
Oh! Product: B 
Benefit: A-

View the Ad

MOST EFFECTIVE SUPER BOWL AD OF 2015: WIX.COM’S "IT'S THAT EASY" 
Wix.com is not a popular brand name. However, they win my award for most effective Super Bowl Ad of 2015. In the ad, the product is clearly defined: use Wix.com to build a website. And Wix.com's primary benefit, ease of use, is reinforced throughout. Lastly, the product's target audience is easily inferred: small business owners.

Wix.com's ad masterfully uses several football celebrities, including Brett Favre and Terrell Owens, to enhance ad recall and to mitigate Wix.com's obscure brand. And the players' retired status fits the entrepreneurial (life-after-football) narrative well.

Lewis’ Scorecard 
Memorable: A- 
Oh! Product: A 
Benefit: A

View the Ad

Enjoy the Super Bowl -- and keep an eye out for the ads,

Lewis C. Lin

PS One more thing: 2015 is the highest ever average price for 30 second Super Bowl ad at $4.5 million. Also, it's most new advertisers since 2000.

Lewis C. Lin's New Book Now Available — Five Minutes to a Higher Salary

It's okay to lose that occasional game of Monopoly or Call of Duty.

But there’s one game you should NOT lose: the salary negotiation game. The average salary increase during a negotiation is $7,000. Stanford professor, Margaret Neale, points out that a missed $7,000 increase is really worth $100,000, when compounded with interest over 30 years.

To help you get what you deserve, I’m excited to announce my new salary negotiation book: Five Minutes to a Higher Salary. Other negotiation books are fantastic for academic theory, but they leave you to figure out what to say and how to say it.

You are too busy to figure it out. And the stakes are too high for trial and error.

Five Minutes to a Higher Salary provides proven email and phone negotiation scripts for over 60 scenarios. You'll use the right words, the right phrases -- the first time, all the time.

The book includes special scripts and tips for raises too.

Purchase the book and email me the receipt by February 14, 2015, and I'll invite you to my exclusive salary negotiation talk. It's a $20 value, and seats are limited.

All it takes is five minutes,

Lewis C. Lin

P.S. Check out our 1 page salary negotiation cheat sheet.

Black Friday Sale: 30% off Lewis C. Lin Books

If you've been wanting to get a paperback copy of either one of my books, today would be a great day to do so. Amazon.com is offering a 30% off coupon.

Use promo code: HOLIDAY30. Ends Nov. 30 at 11:59pm PT. Paperback only.

Decode and Conquer: Answers to Product Management Interviews 
Rise Above the Noise: How to Standout At the Marketing Interview

Wishing you the best this holiday season,

Lewis C. Lin

Don't Leave Any Turkey on the Table: Thank You Gift from Lewis C. Lin

I'd like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you've had a chance to give thanks to everyone you love.

In the Thanksgiving spirit, I also want to give thanks to you -- as a reader and as a supporter. Your help has been invaluable as I build new tools and resources to grow our careers and get the jobs we love.

I want to give you a gift that will help you bring home the turkey. Many of you know that I'm finishing off my third book. It's about salary negotiations. Here's a special offer: get a SNEAK PEEK PREVIEW of my magical ONE MINUTE SCRIPT that will get you more in your next SALARY NEGOTIATION. And for those of you looking for a raise, I've included my magical two minute script to get the raise you want.

Download it now: http://bit.ly/OneMinuteScript

Don't miss out. Preview ends on December 3. After that you'll have to wait for my soon-to-be-published book to see it again.

Don't leave any turkey on the table,

Lewis C. Lin

P.S. One more thing, I am thankful for Roger Fisher, William Ury, Stuart Diamond, and Dale Carnegie. Their classic books paved my early knowledge of salary negotiation. I wanted to share my favorite books from these negotiation thought leaders:

Getting to Yes: Fisher and Ury demonstrated the importance of thinking win-win. Orange peel for the win!

Getting More: Diamond conveyed the value of seeing the situation from the other party's perspective.

How to Win Friends & Influence People: Carnegie emphasized the importance of being well-liked. You can't get agreement with someone you don't like.

Photo Credit: MGF Customs/Reviews

Happy Halloween — plus 11 brilliant can't miss articles

Welcome to the latest edition of my offbeat career newsletter. As always, you'll find my 11 favorite reads for product management, marketing and negotiations below.

And if you missed my earlier note on being a brand ambassador, it's not too late to apply.

Let's go...

Cheers,

Lewis C. Lin

PS Thanks to those of you who sent in your NYC recommendations. My trip favorites: The Meatball Shop (ice cream sandwiches!), Luksus (sour beer!), and the High Line (gorgeous!). Other noteworthy places that I visited, but didn't make the cut list: Eataly, Ippudo, and Carnegie Deli. And for Broadway fans, Jersey Boys is a must!

TOP PRODUCT MANAGEMENT ARTICLES WORTH READING 
Google Ventures On 8 Shortcuts For Better, Faster Design Research 
Good design matters. But can you do it quickly? Google Ventures offers some excellent tips.

My Dream Design Curriculum 
Julie Zhuo shares what she'd take in college to be the ultimate product designer.

Are These the 12 Types of Millennials? 
Having trouble defining personas? Let this list of 12 millenial personas inspire you.

Mothers Get Social on Smartphones 
Trying to understand how mothers spend time on their smartphones? This market research give a detailed look into this use case.

Affordances matter 
Geoff Teehan goes clinical and tells us how something as simple as a "Shift" key on a smartphone can be redesigned.

TOP MARKETING ARTICLES WORTH READING 
Sex, Lies, and the Art of Commanding Attention 
Advertising legend, David Ogilvy, once said, "“On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” If you believe Ogilvy, then you better read this article.

How To Write Seductive Sales Copy Like Apple 
If you believe in the power of headlines, then you probably believe in marketing copy. Read how the best do copy.

A Glimpse Into Marketers' Social Media Strategies 
What are the top questions, priorities, content shared, and platforms used by social media marketers? Market research firms share the numbers from their poll of 2,500+ marketers.

The Psychology Behind Costco's Free Samples 
Dan Ariely explains why free samples drive Costco sales.

KitKat Has the Best Response So Far to Apple's #Bendgate Scandal 
Top social media marketers leverage Internet memes, and KitKat did it best during Apple's recent iPhone 6 launch.

TOP NEGOTIATION ARTICLE WORTH READING 
Become a Master Negotiator in 4 Easy Steps 
4 timeless tips on how to get better at negotiation.

Photo credit: Nomadic Lass

You'll Never Guess What I Did This Summer

This summer I looked for money. For YOU.

Being focused on career management, I found the easiest way to get more money is to raise YOUR individual salary. For both new and current jobs.

But getting a better salary is not easy. So my wonderful research assistant, Christine, and I did lots of research. And finally we cracked the code. We came up with a solution to get a better salary in just 5 minutes -- for 72 different scenarios. And it's going into a upcoming book called Salary Boost.

I want YOUR help. Become a Salary Boost brand ambassador. That is, review an advanced copy of the book. And tell your friends all about it.

Here's what you'll get: 
* An electronic edition of the book, before it publishes 
* A private, exclusive one hour event with me, along with other brand ambassadors 
* Thank-you web link from my professional website

If this is something you'd enjoy doing, I'd encourage YOU to apply! 
Yours,

Lewis C. Lin

P.S. I'll be in New York City on October 18, 2014. You catch me at General Assembly. I'll be talking how to best prepare for the product management interview.

P.P.S. I'll also be at Columbia Business School on October 21st for an exclusive 5 hour interview prep workshop.

P.P.P.S. Got restaurant suggestions in NYC? Email me.

Photo credit: Ingrid Taylar