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

Senior
May 2026

Summary

Prepped for a PM role at Uber and got a product strategy question about display advertising. Short session, not a lot of detail to go on.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Why are display ads considered ineffective or problematic?

Product StrategyPricing & MonetizationProduct Sense & Ideation
Author's notes

I went straight into user experience issues like banner blindness and irrelevance, then pivoted to advertiser ROI concerns.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by acknowledging that display ads are not universally ineffective but face structural challenges in digital advertising. Then, systematically break down the problems from the perspectives of users, advertisers, and platforms, using a framework like the 4Ps or a stakeholder lens. Conclude by discussing how these challenges might be mitigated or what it means for a company like Uber considering display ads.

Pro tip: Tie the discussion back to Uber's business model—emphasize that for a transactional, intent-driven platform, display ads often disrupt user experience and have low ROI compared to native or performance-based ads.

1. Define Display Ads and Context

Clarify what is meant by display ads (banner, interstitial, video) and their typical role in digital advertising. Set the stage by noting that effectiveness varies by context and objectives.

2. Identify Key Problems from User Perspective

Discuss issues like ad fatigue, banner blindness, intrusive formats, and negative impact on user experience, especially on mobile where screen space is limited.

3. Analyze Advertiser Challenges

Cover low click-through rates, poor targeting, attribution difficulties, ad fraud, and the shift towards performance marketing. Mention that display ads often suffer from low ROI compared to search or social ads.

4. Examine Platform and Ecosystem Issues

Talk about ad blocking, privacy regulations (GDPR, ATT), and the duopoly of Google and Facebook making it hard for others to compete. Also, note the rise of walled gardens and data restrictions.

5. Relate to Uber and Conclude

Connect the challenges to Uber's context: display ads could harm the user experience in a utility app, and Uber's strength lies in first-party data and intent, suggesting alternative ad formats like sponsored listings or promotions.

Key Points to Mention

  • Banner blindness and ad fatigue: users increasingly ignore display ads, reducing effectiveness.
  • Low click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates compared to search or social ads.
  • Ad fraud and viewability issues: many impressions are never seen by humans.
  • Privacy regulations (GDPR, ATT) and ad blocking reduce targeting and reach.
  • Shift to performance marketing: advertisers demand measurable ROI, which display often fails to deliver.
  • Uber's context: display ads may disrupt the user experience in a transactional app; better to leverage first-party data for native ads.

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