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

SeniorPrefer not to say
May 2026

Summary

LinkedIn PM interview, product sense round, single question about building a reactions feature. Pretty open-ended and I kept second-guessing whether they wanted a full product spec or just a high-level walkthrough.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

You're a PM at LinkedIn tasked with building a reactions feature. How would you approach this?

Product Sense & IdeationProduct StrategyProduct Analytics & Metrics
Author's notes

I started by questioning whether reactions even made sense for LinkedIn's context, which I think was the right instinct but I spent too long on it.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the goal of reactions on LinkedIn—likely to increase engagement and expression—then segment users and use cases. Propose a solution that balances user needs with LinkedIn's professional context, and define success metrics that tie back to engagement and platform health.

Pro tip: Anchor your answer in LinkedIn's unique professional ecosystem: reactions should enhance professional expression, not mimic casual social networks. Show you understand the trade-offs between engagement and professionalism.

1. Clarify the Goal

Ask questions to understand the objective: Is it to increase engagement, improve content discovery, or enable nuanced feedback? Confirm the target users and success criteria.

2. Understand User Needs

Identify key user segments (e.g., job seekers, recruiters, content creators) and their motivations for reacting. Consider use cases like showing support, agreement, or celebration in a professional context.

3. Define the Solution

Propose a set of reactions that are professional and meaningful (e.g., Like, Celebrate, Support, Insightful, Curious). Explain how they differ from other platforms and how they integrate into the LinkedIn experience.

4. Prioritize and Validate

Outline a phased rollout: start with a small set of reactions, test with a pilot group, and iterate based on feedback. Discuss how to measure success and potential risks.

5. Define Success Metrics

Specify metrics such as reaction rate, engagement lift, retention, and qualitative feedback. Ensure they align with LinkedIn's goals and monitor for unintended consequences.

Key Points to Mention

  • LinkedIn's professional context and how reactions should reflect that
  • User segmentation and diverse use cases (e.g., celebrating a promotion vs. showing support)
  • The importance of reaction taxonomy and avoiding ambiguity
  • A/B testing and iterative rollout strategy
  • Metrics: engagement rate, reaction distribution, impact on comments/shares
  • Potential risks: over-simplification, misuse, or diluting professional tone

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