← Amazon Interview Insights

Amazon·Product Manager·Onsite - System Design / Architecture·Senior

SeniorPrefer not to say
Jun 2026

Summary

Amazon product design interview, got asked to build out a 'notify me' feature end to end. Pretty open-ended and I wasn't totally sure how deep to go on the technical side versus the product side.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

How would you design a 'notify me' feature for a website?

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

I started with clarifying questions which felt right, like what triggers the notification, what channels are supported, what scale we're talking about.

Create a free account to read the full note

AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the user problem and business goal, then propose a simple solution and iterate based on trade-offs. Structure your answer around user needs, technical feasibility, and measurable impact, showing how you'd prioritize features and validate with data.

Pro tip: Anchor your design in Amazon's leadership principles like Customer Obsession and Invent & Simplify, and explicitly discuss how you'd measure success with metrics like notification open rate and opt-out rate.

1. Clarify Requirements

Ask questions to understand the context: what type of website, target users, and what 'notify me' means (e.g., restock alerts, new content). Define the core user need and business objective.

2. Propose High-Level Solution

Outline a simple end-to-end flow: user opts in, chooses notification channels (email, SMS, push), and receives alerts. Mention key components like preference center and notification service.

3. Discuss Trade-offs and Prioritization

Compare channels (cost, immediacy, reliability) and decide on MVP vs. future phases. Consider scalability, latency, and personalization trade-offs.

4. Define Success Metrics

Identify metrics like opt-in rate, notification open rate, conversion rate, and opt-out rate. Explain how you'd use A/B testing to optimize.

5. Address Risks and Edge Cases

Cover spam concerns, privacy compliance (GDPR, CAN-SPAM), and failure handling (e.g., retries, fallback channels).

Key Points to Mention

  • User segmentation and personalization to avoid notification fatigue
  • Channel selection (email, SMS, push) and associated costs/reliability
  • Scalability and architecture (e.g., queueing, third-party services)
  • Privacy and compliance (opt-in/opt-out, data protection)
  • Metrics for success and iteration (open rate, conversion, opt-out)
  • MVP approach and phased rollout based on learnings

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