← Apple Interview Insights

Apple·Product Manager·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Senior

Senior
May 2026

Summary

Product sense round at Apple for a PM role, one question about designing a maker-checker workflow for a finance platform. Pretty focused session, no fluff.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Design a maker-checker feature for a finance platform where every manual action requires two people: one to execute and one to approve.

System DesignProduct Sense & IdeationTechnical Trade-offs
Author's notes

I went straight into the user flow and kind of forgot to frame the problem first.

Create a free account to read the full note

AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the scope and requirements, then design the maker-checker workflow with clear roles, states, and audit trails. Discuss technical implementation options and trade-offs, and finally address edge cases and success metrics.

Pro tip: Emphasize the importance of auditability and compliance, and propose a phased rollout to minimize disruption to existing workflows.

1. Clarify Requirements

Ask questions to understand the specific actions requiring maker-checker, user roles, regulatory constraints, and integration points with existing systems.

2. Design Workflow

Define the end-to-end process: how a maker initiates an action, how it enters a pending state, how a checker reviews and approves/rejects, and how the final action is executed.

3. Define Data Model and States

Outline the key entities (e.g., ActionRequest, User, Role) and state transitions (e.g., Draft, Pending Approval, Approved, Rejected, Executed) with timestamps and audit logs.

4. Address Technical Implementation

Discuss how to enforce separation of duties, handle concurrency, ensure atomicity of approval and execution, and integrate with authentication/authorization systems.

5. Consider Edge Cases and Metrics

Identify edge cases like checker unavailability, escalation paths, and define success metrics such as approval time, error rate, and compliance adherence.

Key Points to Mention

  • Separation of duties and least privilege principles
  • Audit trail and logging for compliance
  • Notification system for pending approvals
  • Role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Handling of rejected actions and re-submission
  • Performance and scalability considerations

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