# Product Sense Interview Answer Template

Use this as a fill-in scaffold for product design, product improvement, or "what would you build next?" interview questions.

**Question:** [Paste the prompt]

## 1. Clarify

**Opening line:**
"Before I dive in, I want to clarify the scope so I solve the right problem."

- **Clarifier 1:** [Question]
  - **Assumption if unanswered:** [Assumption]
- **Clarifier 2:** [Question]
  - **Assumption if unanswered:** [Assumption]

If no company is named:

- **Startup assumption:** "Since no specific company was mentioned, I'll assume we're a startup exploring this space."

## 2. Rationale

### Market

- **Big market / strategic importance:** [Why this space matters]
- **Why important:** [Why users or society care]
- **Why now:** [What changed recently]

### Company Fit

Skip this subsection if no company is named.

- **Mission fit:** [Why this supports the company mission]
- **Business objective:** [Revenue, retention, growth, efficiency, etc.]
- **Competitive landscape:** [Who else plays here]
- **Market gap:** [What current solutions miss]
- **Unique strength:** [Why this company can win]

### One-Line Thesis

- [One sentence that sets up the rest of the answer]

## 3. Product Goal

- **Goal:** Help [user] [achieve outcome], so that [broader impact].
- **Success looks like:** [Observable user outcome]

## 4. Segmentation

### Ecosystem Players

- [Player 1]
- [Player 2]
- [Player 3]
- [Player 4]
- [Player 5]

### Chosen Player

- **Player:** [Who you will focus on]
- **Reach:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]
- **Impact:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]
- **Strategic fit:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]

### Primary Dimension

- **Dimension name:** [What meaningfully changes needs]
- [Segment A]
- [Segment B]
- [Segment C]

- **Chosen segment:** [Who]
- **Reach:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]
- **Impact:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]
- **Strategic fit:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]

### Secondary Dimension

- **Dimension name:** [What else changes needs]
- [Segment A]
- [Segment B]
- [Segment C]

- **Chosen segment:** [Who]
- **Reach:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]
- **Impact:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]
- **Strategic fit:** [High / Medium / Low] - [Why]

### Persona

- [Who they are, in one sentence]
- [What they care about, in one sentence]

## 5. Pain Points

### Journey Stages

- [Stage 1]
- [Stage 2]
- [Stage 3]
- [Stage 4]
- [Optional Stage 5]

### Pain Points

- [Pain point 1]
- [Pain point 2]
- [Pain point 3]
- [Pain point 4]
- [Pain point 5]
- [Pain point 6]
- [Pain point 7]
- [Pain point 8]
- [Pain point 9]
- [Pain point 10]

### Top Pain Point

- **Top pain point:** [One pain to prioritize]
- **Frequency:** [How often users hit it]
- **Severity:** [How badly it blocks the job, how underserved it is, and emotional cost]

## 6. Solution

### Solution Options

- **Option 1:** [One sentence]
- **Option 2:** [One sentence]
- **Option 3:** [One sentence]

### Comparison

- **Option 1:** **[High / Medium / Low] user impact** - [Why]. **[High / Medium / Low] effort** - [Why].
- **Option 2:** **[High / Medium / Low] user impact** - [Why]. **[High / Medium / Low] effort** - [Why].
- **Option 3:** **[High / Medium / Low] user impact** - [Why]. **[High / Medium / Low] effort** - [Why].

### MVP

- **Winner:** [Chosen first bet]
- **Core features:**
  - [Feature 1]
  - [Feature 2]
  - [Feature 3]
- **v1 exclusions:**
  - [Exclusion 1]
  - [Exclusion 2]

### Risks and Mitigations

- **Risk:** [Name it]. **Mitigation:** [Specific action].
- **Risk:** [Name it]. **Mitigation:** [Specific action].

### Closing Line

"To summarize: I'd focus on [target segment], specifically around the pain of [top pain point], and build [MVP] as the first bet."
