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Spotify·Software Engineer·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Intermediate

Intermediate
Jun 2026

Summary

Interviewed for a product design role at Spotify and got a classic critique question. Short and focused, just the one question from what I remember.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Critique the Spotify app. What works, what doesn't, and how would you improve it?

Product Sense & IdeationProduct Strategy
Author's notes

I use Spotify every day so I figured this would be easy.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by framing your critique around Spotify's core value proposition—music discovery and seamless playback—then evaluate specific features against that lens. Balance praise with constructive criticism, and propose improvements that are technically feasible and aligned with Spotify's business model. Show empathy for both users and the engineering constraints.

Pro tip: Tie your improvements to Spotify's strategic goals (e.g., increasing engagement, reducing churn, or growing podcast/ad revenue) to demonstrate product sense beyond just user experience.

1. Define evaluation criteria

Briefly state the dimensions you'll use to critique the app, such as core functionality, user experience, performance, and business impact. This shows structured thinking.

2. Highlight what works well

Acknowledge Spotify's strengths, like its recommendation algorithms, cross-platform sync, and vast library. Be specific about why these features succeed.

3. Identify pain points

Critique areas that fall short, such as discovery limitations, UI clutter, or offline mode issues. Focus on problems that affect key user segments.

4. Propose improvements

Suggest concrete, feasible enhancements for the pain points, explaining how they would benefit users and Spotify. Prioritize based on impact and effort.

5. Summarize and tie back to role

Conclude by reiterating the most critical improvement and how your engineering skills could contribute to implementing it, showing alignment with the company.

Key Points to Mention

  • Personalization and recommendation algorithms (e.g., Discover Weekly, Release Radar)
  • User interface and navigation complexity (e.g., cluttered home screen, difficulty finding podcasts)
  • Offline mode and download management limitations
  • Social features and sharing capabilities (e.g., collaborative playlists, friend activity)
  • Audio quality and playback consistency across devices
  • Monetization and ads experience for free users

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.