FrontFinancial·Product Manager·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Intermediate

Intermediate

Jun 2026

Summary

Interviewed for a PM role at FrontFinancial, got a pretty open-ended product strategy question that felt deceptively simple at first.

Questions Asked (1)

How would you make the internet faster?

Product StrategyTechnical Trade-offsProduct Sense & Ideation

Author's notes

Blanked for a second because it sounds like a trivia question but it really isn't.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the scope of 'faster' (e.g., latency, throughput, perceived speed) and the user segments affected, then structure your answer around the key layers of the internet stack—last-mile access, backbone, protocols, and applications. Prioritize opportunities by impact and feasibility, and propose a portfolio of initiatives with clear metrics and trade-offs.

Pro tip: Acknowledge that 'faster' is multidimensional and that perceived speed often matters more than raw speed; focus on reducing friction in high-value user journeys rather than chasing theoretical gains.

1. Clarify Goals and Scope

Define what 'faster' means (latency, bandwidth, perceived performance) and which users or use cases are most important. Ask clarifying questions to align on constraints and success metrics.

2. Map the Internet Stack

Break down the internet into layers: last-mile access, backbone/transit, protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP), and applications. Identify where bottlenecks typically occur and which layers you can influence.

3. Identify High-Impact Opportunities

For each layer, brainstorm potential improvements (e.g., edge caching, QUIC, 5G, CDNs) and estimate their impact on speed and feasibility. Consider trade-offs like cost, complexity, and equity.

4. Prioritize and Propose Solutions

Use a prioritization framework (e.g., impact vs. effort) to select a portfolio of initiatives. For each, outline the expected benefit, required resources, and potential risks.

5. Define Metrics and Iterate

Specify how you would measure success (e.g., p95 latency, time to interactive) and propose an iterative approach to test, learn, and scale improvements.

Key Points to Mention

Latency vs. bandwidth: distinguish between them and focus on latency for perceived speed.
Edge computing and CDNs: reduce distance between users and content.
Protocol optimizations: HTTP/3, QUIC, TCP tuning, and TLS 1.3.
Last-mile improvements: 5G, fiber, and community networks.
Perceived performance: techniques like lazy loading, prefetching, and progressive rendering.
Trade-offs: cost, complexity, privacy, and digital divide implications.

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