← TikTok Interview Insights

TikTok·Software Engineer·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Senior

Senior
Jun 2026

Summary

Interviewed for a bizops role at TikTok and got hit with a revenue growth case right away. Pretty open-ended stuff with no clean answer, which was either fun or stressful depending on your mood that day.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

How would you approach doubling TikTok's revenue in the next year, and what share of that growth should come from existing advertisers versus bringing in new ones?

Product StrategyPricing & MonetizationGo-to-Market (GTM)
Author's notes

The second part is what tripped me up.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying that as a software engineer, you'd focus on how technical solutions enable revenue growth, then outline a structured approach: assess current revenue streams, identify levers for growth (e.g., ad load, targeting, new formats), and estimate the split between existing and new advertisers based on data. Emphasize collaboration with product, data, and sales teams to validate assumptions and prioritize engineering efforts.

Pro tip: Acknowledge that revenue growth is a cross-functional effort and that engineering plays a key role in building scalable ad systems, improving targeting algorithms, and optimizing user experience to support higher ad load without hurting engagement.

1. Understand Current Revenue Mix

Break down TikTok's current revenue by advertiser type (existing vs. new) and ad products (e.g., feed ads, branded effects, live shopping). Identify which segments have the highest growth potential.

2. Identify Technical Levers for Growth

Propose engineering initiatives that can increase revenue from existing advertisers (e.g., improved targeting, dynamic ad insertion, better measurement) and attract new ones (e.g., self-serve ad platform, simplified onboarding, API integrations).

3. Estimate Impact and Split

Use data to estimate how much growth can come from existing advertisers (e.g., increasing ad load, upselling) versus new advertisers (e.g., expanding to SMBs, new geographies). Consider diminishing returns and user experience trade-offs.

4. Prioritize and Roadmap

Prioritize initiatives based on impact, effort, and alignment with company goals. Create a phased roadmap with clear milestones and metrics for success.

5. Measure and Iterate

Define KPIs (e.g., revenue per user, advertiser retention, fill rate) and set up A/B tests to validate assumptions. Iterate based on results and feedback from sales and advertisers.

Key Points to Mention

  • Ad load optimization: balancing revenue with user experience to avoid engagement drops.
  • Targeting and personalization: using machine learning to improve ad relevance and conversion rates.
  • Self-serve ad platform: lowering barriers for small and medium businesses to become new advertisers.
  • New ad formats: exploring interactive, shoppable, or AR ads that can command higher CPMs.
  • International expansion: tailoring ad products for emerging markets with high user growth.
  • Measurement and attribution: building robust analytics to prove ROI and retain advertisers.

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