I’ll never forget my first product management home assignment. The excitement I felt after a successful interview quickly turned into anxiety when the assignment instructions arrived. It felt almost like an insult – don’t they already know who I am? Why do I need to prove it by doing extra work at home?

In addition, the instructions were vague, leaving me clueless about what they actually wanted to see. I hate being in the dark, especially when my career is on the line. 

Not a great feeling.

If you’ve been there, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Home assignments have become a standard practice in product management interviews, and candidates often see them as a necessary evil—especially when juggling multiple applications simultaneously, let alone a full-time job and family.

I used to see it that way, too.

Over the years, though, my perspective has changed. These assignments—particularly for senior roles—are actually a chance to show off skills that don’t always shine in a typical interview. They are also an opportunity to assess further whether the company you are interviewing for is the right fit.

Tackling these assignments, however, can be tricky. Many candidates fail because they approach them the wrong way.

My recommendation is to shift your mindset and find the opportunity to shine. 

But since it’s easier said than done, let me help you. Here is a sneak peek into a hiring manager’s mind, what they are really looking for, and how you can turn this home assignment hustle into an opportunity to show them who you really are.

Nobody Wants to Steal Your Ideas

Before diving into how to excel in home assignments, here is a quick note to hiring companies: if you expect candidates to embrace them, treat these assignments with respect and integrity. Unfortunately, some companies misuse home assignments, and that’s a red flag. If you have a choice, consider it a signal.

That said, even among the companies that are doing it all wrong, I’ve never encountered a company using them to steal ideas or get free labor. Companies live and breathe their product; they don’t need candidates’ ideas to move forward.

Even if your idea appears later, it’s not because they waited for you. A long time ago, in an interview with Google, I suggested that they develop a voice interface. Do you think they needed me to come up with Google Assistant? Of course not.

The key is to clear any doubts and approach the assignment willingly. If you’re skeptical, you’ll struggle to give your best effort and won’t stand out. If you decided to go for it, focus on the opportunity to showcase your skills.

What Hiring Managers Really Want

It’s not about finding the “right” answer—that almost never exists in product management. What hiring managers want is to understand your thought process. How do you approach problems, prioritize, and make decisions? A simple solution with detailed reasoning and trade-offs is far more impressive than shiny features or ideas.

As hiring managers, we also assess how well you work within constraints, making decisions with limited time and data—just like real-world product management. Clear communication is crucial too. Can you explain your ideas in a way that resonates with different stakeholders?

Ultimately, it’s less about the solution and more about how you solve, communicate, and align with business goals.

Product Managers Are Not Order Takers

One common mistake candidates make in home assignments is treating them like a checklist of tasks. But product managers aren’t order takers, and your approach should reflect that.

I once received two responses for the same senior PM assignment. The first candidate meticulously completed every task we asked for—thorough but felt empty and shallow nonetheless. The second candidate addressed the tasks but also challenged our assumptions, added context, and suggested an alternative framing of the problem. Guess who got the job?

As a product manager, your role is to think strategically. Go beyond the explicit instructions and ask yourself: What’s the real business problem here? What user needs are we addressing? Are there market trends that impact this decision? Questioning the premise of the assignment and providing new perspectives shows critical thinking.

That said, don’t just add complexity for its own sake. Stay focused on relevant insights. Once, a candidate rambled about blockchain for an assignment that had nothing to do with it—it showed a lack of focus.

Approaching the assignment strategically demonstrates your ability to shape the product and business, not just execute tasks.

When in Doubt, Ask or Make Clear Assumptions

Remember that feeling of being overwhelmed by a vague, high-stakes task? It feels like there’s too much to tackle and no clear starting point. On the one hand, you don’t have to figure it all out alone, but on the other—you kind of do.

If you’re unsure about something in the assignment, don’t hesitate to ask. It doesn’t make you look incompetent—it shows you’re focused on solving the right problem. But be mindful of what you ask since that’s also part of the impression you make. Before reaching out, try to find answers yourself or make an informed assumption. Explain what you already did and why you are reaching out. What are you going to do with their answers?

When I give home assignments, I often leave them intentionally vague. I want to see how candidates handle uncertainty—an essential skill in product management. One of the ways to navigate this uncertainty is to make assumptions. That’s how you can move forward on one hand and keep your answer tight and logical on the other.

When you make assumptions, state them clearly and explain how they influenced your approach. This will give the hiring team insight into your thinking and show that you can confidently navigate ambiguity.

Time Management Demonstrates Your Ability to Prioritize

In product management, focus is extremely important. Separating the wheat from the chaff and delivering value (as opposed to output) is key to your ability to make the impact you want – in home assignments as well as in the job itself.

The time pressure in home assignments isn’t just a challenge—it’s an opportunity. It forces you to think critically about what truly matters, to prioritize ruthlessly, and to focus on delivering the most value within the given constraints. 

Accept that you can’t deliver a perfect solution. Still, you want to focus on the things that make a difference. Add a list of what you would do differently had you had more time, and explain why you chose to focus on what you selected.

By managing your time effectively and focusing on what truly matters, you demonstrate a key quality of successful product leaders: the ability to navigate constraints and deliver results. This approach not only produces better work but also gives hiring managers confidence in your ability to handle the real-world pressures of the role.

Your Enthusiasm Speaks Volumes

As a product leader, your passion for the craft should be evident in everything you do—including home assignments. When candidates tell me they enjoyed working on the assignment I gave them, it’s always a good sign. This enthusiasm typically shines through in their work and follow-up communication, setting them apart from other applicants.

However, if you find yourself dreading the assignment or struggling to muster any enthusiasm for it, pay attention to that feeling. It might be a sign that this particular role or company isn’t the right fit for you. Home assignments can be a two-way street—they’re not just for the company to evaluate you but also for you to assess whether the work excites you.

Product management is not just a job. We are all deeply invested in our work. Let your passion for product management shine through in your assignment. Approach it not as a chore, but as an opportunity to dive into an interesting problem, showcase your skills, and perhaps learn something new in the process.

Be Transparent and Honest About the Help You Get

Using AI tools like ChatGPT can be valuable, but use them as you would in your actual job—as a helper function, not to do the work for you. If you use AI to generate ideas or content, make sure you critically evaluate and refine the output. Your unique insights and decision-making process are what hiring managers want to see.

Similarly, consulting with friends or experts can be beneficial, but only if that’s a tool you’d use in the real world too. If you do seek outside input, be upfront about it. Explain how you incorporated this feedback into your thinking. This demonstrates your ability to collaborate and synthesize diverse perspectives—a crucial skill for product leaders.

Remember, the goal of the assignment is to assess your skills and thinking process. By being transparent about the resources you use, you show integrity and give hiring managers a clear picture of your capabilities. It also provides an opportunity to demonstrate how you leverage tools and collaborate effectively—key attributes in today’s product management landscape.

Home assignments are a chance to showcase your problem-solving, strategic thinking, and passion for product management. Instead of seeing them as a burden, approach them with curiosity and focus. By clearly communicating your decisions, navigating ambiguity, and prioritizing effectively, you can stand out. Treat the assignment as both an opportunity to demonstrate your skills and to assess if the role truly excites you.