--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you’re interviewing to be a PM, it’s…" description: "\"“If you’re interviewing to be a PM, it’s good to look at every problem starting with “Who is the customer?” and “What is success?”\" — Gayle Laakmann Mc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell-66116_customer_if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-g_2305132.jpg" --- # If you’re interviewing to be a PM, it’s good to look at… ![“If you’re interviewing to be a PM, it’s good to look at every problem starting with “Who is the customer?” and “What is success?” quote by Gayle Laakmann McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell-66116_customer_if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-g_2305132.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell-66116_customer_if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-g_2305132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell-66116_customer_if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-g_2305132.jpg) > ““If you’re interviewing to be a PM, it’s good to look at every problem starting with “Who is the customer?” and “What is success?”” [Gayle Laakmann McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective product management starts by defining the customer and success metrics before solving problems. **In simple terms:** Know your user and success first. Key Takeaway Clarify goals early. Themes product design strategy customer focus Mood analytical pragmatic Type business educational When to use this quote - startup planning - feature prioritization - team meetings Key Concepts frameworks KPIs empathy Questions to Reflect On - Who truly benefits from your product? - How will you measure success? A Different Perspective Rigid focus may overlook innovative solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Customer success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-success/) [Interviewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interviewing/) [Interviewing Pm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interviewing-pm-5458119/) [Starting Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-customer-2180394/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“Starting with the customer, market, and price is the only approach for product success.” —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhavan-ramanujam/starting-with-the-customer-market-and-price-is-the-only-approach-for/) [Madhavan Ramanujam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhavan-ramanujam/) > [The job can't be finished only improved to please the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/the-job-can-t-be-finished-only-improved-to-please-the-customer/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it, in the way you said you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-winget/do-what-you-say-you-are-going-to-do-when-you-say-you-are-going-to-do/) [Larry Winget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-winget/) > [The secret to success: Do what you say you're going to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-secret-to-success-do-what-you-say-you-re-going-to-do/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [At the end of every day, having a clientele that speaks well of you, that's the largest source of business. I don't care what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-schwab/at-the-end-of-every-day-having-a-clientele-that-speaks-well-of-you/) [Charles R. 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Lovability is the greatest predictor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-haaff/if-your-customers-love-you-they-will-not-only-remain-fiercely-loyal/) [Brian de Haaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-haaff/) > [We have awesome, passionate customer success and social media teams, but when I see a customer who needs help or is unhappy, I take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/we-have-awesome-passionate-customer-success-and-social-media-teams/) [Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/) > [If you stay very focused on customers and customer success, people pay attention to that - and in turn, they also want that same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneel-bhusri/if-you-stay-very-focused-on-customers-and-customer-success-people-pay/) [Aneel Bhusri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneel-bhusri/) > [Once you know what you want and what is important for you to achieve, also define the values associated with it. What is important?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/once-you-know-what-you-want-and-what-is-important-for-you-to-achieve/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [The most important adage and the only adage is, the customer comes first, whatever the business, the customer comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-stokes/the-most-important-adage-and-the-only-adage-is-the-customer-comes/) [Kerry Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-stokes/) > [Company's vision must be driven by the aspirations of its customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konosuke-matsushita/company-s-vision-must-be-driven-by-the-aspirations-of-its-customers/) [Konosuke Matsushita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konosuke-matsushita/) > [If you work just for money, you'll never make it, but if you love what you're doing and you always put the customer first,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kroc/if-you-work-just-for-money-you-ll-never-make-it-but-if-you-love-what/) [Ray Kroc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kroc/) > [Many companies talk about customer success, but how many actually put the customer first above all else, always?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/many-companies-talk-about-customer-success-but-how-many-actually-put/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Again, your challenge is not just to improve. It is to break the service paradigm in your industry or market so that customers aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/again-your-challenge-is-not-just-to-improve-it-is-to-break-the/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) ## More by Gayle Laakmann McDowell > [“Shipped software can also be great for people who want a good work/life balance, since there aren’t usually urgent issues that need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/shipped-software-can-also-be-great-for-people-who-want-a-good-work/) [Gayle Laakmann McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/) > [“who got an MBA after starting as a PM at Microsoft, decided to go to business school when he noticed that well-designed products didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/who-got-an-mba-after-starting-as-a-pm-at-microsoft-decided-to-go-to/) [Gayle Laakmann McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/) > [“Prioritization is one of the product manager’s most important functions at this point; if the team were to fix every bug and build every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/prioritization-is-one-of-the-product-manager-s-most-important/) [Gayle Laakmann McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/) [Explore all 4 Gayle Laakmann McDowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/) ## More Customer quotes > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/) [Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/) > [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/) [Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/) > [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) [Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you’re interviewing to be a PM, it’s good to look at every problem starting with “Who is the customer?” and “What is success?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gayle Laakmann McDowell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-good-to-look-at-every-problem/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Customer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-good-to-look-at-every-problem/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell-66116_customer_if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-g_2305132.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell-66116_customer_if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-g_2305132.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54f/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell-66116_customer_if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-g_2305132.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you’re interviewing to be a PM, it’s good to look at every problem starting with “Who is the customer?”…” — Gayle Laakmann McDowell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gayle Laakmann McDowell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you’re interviewing to be a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-good-to-look-at-every-problem/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-laakmann-mcdowell/if-you-re-interviewing-to-be-a-pm-it-s-good-to-look-at-every-problem/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```