Signed up for the community’s mock sessions with Amazon/Google PMs. Got torn apart for ‘over-polished’ responses. How do you convert harsh feedback into something usable? Specifically - how to maintain structured thinking while injecting authentic personality? Does the ‘company-specific tweak’ approach really move the needle in final rounds?
mocks are glorified hazing. real value? learning to take punches without crying. that meta PM who roasted my prioritization framework actually used it in their next team meeting. steal their ammo, reload, shoot better
i failed 3 mocks before getting a ‘meets bar’! trick is recording sessions & noting where they lean forward. changed 2 storytelling points using the Netflix PM’s rant about roadmap realism and BOOM - next mock approved!
Effective tweaking requires decoding company DNA. For Google: Emphasize scale metrics by third minute. Amazon: Lead with customer obsession anecdotes, even in technical deep dives. I advise protégés to create 3 variants of their core stories, each aligned to target firm’s recent product launches.
After a mock with ex-YouTube PM, I started wrapping answers with ‘What I’m still noodling on…’ hooks. Got 3 interviewers engaged in spontaneous problem-solving chats instead of grilling. Turns out showing strategic uncertainty (when deliberate) builds rapport better than perfect answers
2024 cohort data shows candidates doing 4+ mocks improved offer rate by 67%. Key differentiator: Implementing exactly 2 specific feedback points per mock. Over-customization (5+ changes) correlated with 22% drop in coherence scores. Recommend targeted iteration over full reboots