interview prep no. 66
Clarifying Questions Guide | Week 1 Retro | Week 2 Plans | Free Feedback | 4 Quizzes, 1 Drill & 1 Template
This week I hit the messy middle of interview prep—the part where life collides with best-laid plans. Some mocks got skipped, some drills got done late, but I still built useful tools along the way. In this issue, I’m sharing what worked, what didn’t, and the resources I created to keep moving forward.
This Week’s Highlights
Clarifying Questions The Ultimate Guide
Week 1 Retro The Messy Truth
Week 2 Moving Forward
Free Feedback Help Test my AI Tool
Paid Subscribers ONLY
Tools 4 Quizzes, 1 Drill & 1 Template
Template for Mock Makes What I Use
Mock Your Coach Sign Up to Participate
Clarifying Questions
The Ultimate Guide
I’ll be honest: clarifying questions tripped me up for years. They felt obvious on paper, but in a live mock, I froze. That’s why I pulled everything I’ve learned (and taught) into one place—an article that covers not just why clarifying questions matter, but how to use them effectively.
Inside you’ll find my best tactics: diagramming the prompt, avoiding fishing questions, focusing on scope, and the five rules I come back to again and again. I even included drills and the most common mistakes to watch out for.
👉 If you’re working on Product Sense with me, this guide is the perfect companion.
Week 1 Retro
The Messy Truth
Week 1 didn’t go as planned. I set out to do one mock interview a day, but life got in the way: partners canceled, I got double-booked, and sometimes I just didn’t show up. I didn’t hit my numbers—but I did hit reality.
Even so, I managed 5 cases, built new drills, and learned a lot about my blind spots. I froze on simple questions, caught myself making sweeping assumptions, and even narrowed too far in one case. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress.
👉 In the full retro, I share what I got done (and what I didn’t), the prompts I used, and how I’m adjusting for Week 2.
Interview Prep Week 2
My Plan
This week I’m focused on three major goals: completing five Product Sense mocks with another human within a 7-day stretch, bringing my strategic setup down to two minutes or less, and drafting the Ultimate Guide to the Strategic Setup.
Day 8.
Product Sense Mock 6
Drill/Quiz: Why? Why Now? Logic
Focus: Keeping Strategic Section to 3 mins.
Day 9.
Product Sense Mock 7
Drill/Quiz: Setting A Goal
Focus: Keeping Strategic Section to 2-3 mins.
Day 10.
Product Sense Mock 8
Drill/Quiz: Narrowing Broad Prompts
Coursework: Strategic Setup
Day 11.
Product Sense Mock 9
Drill: Narrowing Broad Prompts
Focus: Keeping mock to <35 minutes
Day 12.
Product Sense Mock 10
Drill/Quiz: Listing Stakeholders and/or Risks & Tradeoffs
Listen to my own recordings
Days 13 & 14. Make Up: Goal makeup 2 out of 4 missing mocks from last week.
Week 2 Logic
For those following along, here’s why I chose these tasks (many differ from Week 1). Use this as inspiration to adjust your own goals based on your needs.
Rule of Three — I almost cut to two goals, but decided a subgoal counts as a full task.
Focus — I turned my own weaknesses into focus areas. Yours will be different depending on your strengths.
Drills/Quizzes — In Week 1, I saw how forms can help spark thoughtful questions and guide practice. I’ll create more, especially since they’re easier to build when I’m also using them myself.
Mock Feedback
Free While I’m Testing
I’m testing a new product sense mock feedback tool, and I need your help. If you submit a transcript, you’ll get free, detailed feedback—the same kind I showed in my blog post—delivered straight to your inbox.
How it works (super simple):
Record a product sense mock (no partner feedback needed).
Transcribe it — I recommend TurboScribe (3 free/day).
Get 1 Mock Review in 24–48 hours (usually faster).
I’m still fine-tuning the system (LLMs do hallucinate!), but that’s part of the fun: you get early access, and your transcript helps me improve the tool for everyone.
👉 Submit a transcript today and see what kind of insights the tool surfaces.
