I picked apps I actually use daily which was probably the right call, but I spent too long on the 'favorite' part and not enough setting up a real improvement case.
Choose three apps that you genuinely use and can speak to fluently, ensuring at least one aligns with Stripe's domain (payments, fintech, or developer tools). For the improvement, select one app and apply a structured product critique: identify a user pain point, propose a feature or change, and explain how you'd measure success. Keep the focus on user needs, business impact, and Stripe-relevant themes like reliability, scalability, or developer experience.
Pro tip: Tie your improvement to a metric that matters to the business (e.g., conversion, retention, or developer productivity) and acknowledge trade-offs—this shows you think like a PM, not just a user.
Pick three apps that are relevant to the role and company—ideally one Stripe product or competitor, one fintech/payments app, and one everyday app that showcases your product thinking. Avoid trivial choices unless you can extract meaningful insights.
For each app, state why you admire it from a product perspective—e.g., seamless UX, strong network effects, or innovative use of technology. This sets the stage for your critique.
For the app you'll improve, pinpoint a specific user pain point or unmet need. Frame it as a problem statement: 'Users struggle to X, which leads to Y.'
Describe your proposed improvement, explain why it's the highest priority, and outline how it aligns with the company's strategy. Mention any trade-offs or risks.
Specify how you'd measure the impact—e.g., conversion rate, retention, NPS, or developer adoption. Include a hypothesis and a way to test it (e.g., A/B test).
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.