In this module5 lessons
7-day and 30-day study plans
Follow a day-by-day plan for a week or a month, with the exact lessons to read and questions to practice each day, adjusted for your background.
7 min readFree lesson
Pick the plan that matches your calendar
If your first interview is a week away, use the 7-day plan. If you have a month or more, use the 30-day plan. If you're somewhere in between, start the 30-day plan and use the compression rules near the end of this lesson.
Both plans follow the same rhythm: read a little, then practice out loud, then grade yourself. Reading alone feels productive and builds almost no interview skill. A typical day here is about a third reading and two thirds practice.
Every practice step uses three tools from this kit:
- The question bank, filtered by type (Product sense, Metrics, Estimation, Strategy, Behavioral, Technical and AI).
- The self-grading rubric, to score each recorded answer.
- A practice log: a simple document or spreadsheet where you note the date, question, round type, score and the one thing to fix next time. How to practice so it sticks explains why the log matters.
"Practice" always means out loud, timed and ideally recorded.
Before day 1: a 30-minute diagnostic
Pick one product sense question from the question bank at random. Answer it out loud for 25 minutes, recorded, without preparing. Don't worry about doing well. This recording is your baseline, and comparing it with your day-7 or day-30 recording is one of the most motivating things you'll do.
The 7-day plan
About three hours a day. If your loop is unusual (say, heavy on technical or AI), swap the day 5 afternoon for that module.
| Day | Read | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All of module 0. The framework in one page, clarify the prompt, pick a user | Grade your diagnostic with the rubric. Then five openings only: clarify, assume and announce structure in 90 seconds each |
| 2 | Generate solutions, prioritize, measure your design, worked answers 1 to 4, common traps | Two full product sense answers, 25 minutes each, recorded and graded |
| 3 | North-star metrics, metric trees, diagnosing a drop, A/B tests, worked cases 1 to 5 | Two metrics questions: one "pick a metric", one "diagnose a drop" |
| 4 | What behavioral rounds test, build a story bank, structure an answer, why PM and why this company | Draft eight stories in note form. Tell four out loud, under two minutes each. Say your "why PM" and "why this company" answers twice |
| 5 | Estimation in five steps, round numbers, strategy approach. If relevant: technical rounds or AI product rounds | Three estimation questions, ten minutes each. One strategy question |
| 6 | Research a company, tailor your stories, mock interview scripts, drills by weakness | One partner mock using the scripts. Then 30 minutes of drills on your lowest rubric score |
| 7 | Final-week checklist | One product sense answer, recorded. Compare with your diagnostic. Light review of your story notes. Stop by early evening |
Key idea On a short timeline, depth in product sense, metrics and behavioral beats a skim of everything. They appear in most loops and they reward practice the fastest.
The 30-day plan
About 60 to 90 minutes on weekdays and two to three hours on days 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28 (treat those as your weekend days, whatever the calendar says).
Week 1: foundations and product sense
| Day | Read | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All of module 0 | Grade your diagnostic with the rubric |
| 2 | How to practice, using the question bank, the framework | Set up your practice log. Write your three weakest rubric dimensions at the top |
| 3 | Clarify the prompt, pick a user | Five openings only, 90 seconds each |
| 4 | Generate solutions, prioritize | One full product sense answer, 25 minutes |
| 5 | Measure your design, favorite product | Prepare your favorite product answer and say it twice |
| 6 | Worked answers 1 to 4, 5 to 8 | Attempt each prompt for five minutes before reading its answer. Then two full answers |
| 7 | Worked answers 9 to 12, common traps, drills by weakness | Two full answers. 20 minutes of drills on your weakest dimension |
Week 2: metrics and estimation
| Day | Read | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | North-star metrics, metric trees | Choose a north-star metric and draw a tree for three products from the bank |
| 9 | Setting goals, diagnosing a drop | One diagnosis question, 20 minutes |
| 10 | A/B tests, trade-off decisions | One metrics question plus one product sense question |
| 11 | Worked cases 1 to 5 | Attempt first, then read. One new metrics question |
| 12 | Worked cases 6 to 10, common traps | Two metrics questions |
| 13 | Estimation in five steps, round numbers, top-down and bottom-up | Three estimation questions, ten minutes each |
| 14 | Worked cases 1 to 4, 5 to 8, sanity checks, mock scripts | Two estimation questions. First partner mock: product sense |
Week 3: behavioral and strategy
| Day | Read | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | What behavioral rounds test, build a story bank | List ten candidate stories in a grid |
| 16 | Structure an answer, conflict | Write three stories in note form; tell each in under two minutes |
| 17 | Failure, influence | Three more stories |
| 18 | Ownership, why PM and why this company | Draft and say both "why" answers |
| 19 | Model answers 1 to 10, 11 to 20 | Tell every story once, recorded |
| 20 | Strategy approach, market entry, competitive response, build, buy or partner | Two strategy questions |
| 21 | Monetization, growth, worked cases 1 to 3 | Partner mock: behavioral |
Week 4: your specialty, your company and mocks
| Day | Read | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Technical or AI module, first three lessons (whichever your target role needs). If neither, strategy worked cases 4 to 6 and traps | One question of that type |
| 23 | Lessons 4 to 6 of the same module. If neither, re-read the worked answers of your weakest module | One question of that type plus one metrics question |
| 24 | Lesson 7, its worked lesson and common traps. If neither, a second pass on metrics worked cases 6 to 10 | Two questions of that type |
| 25 | How loops differ, large tech or startups, APM programs if applying | Research your company in two hours |
| 26 | Tailor your stories | Map stories to the company. 30 minutes of drills on your two lowest dimensions |
| 27 | Your final mock plan | Full mock loop: three rounds back to back with a partner |
| 28 | Your practice log, start to finish | Drills on whatever the loop exposed. One more product sense answer |
| 29 | Final-week checklist | One light mock. Re-read your story notes and summaries |
| 30 | Recaps only | Rest. Confirm logistics. Record one answer and compare with your diagnostic |
Compressing or stretching
Two to three weeks? Merge days that share a module. Keep every practice step and the partner mocks on days 14, 21 and 27, and cut reading of worked answers to one lesson per module, attempting each prompt first.
More than a month? Repeat week 4's mock rhythm. Add one partner mock a week and keep logging. Extra reading has low returns past this point; extra reps don't.
Adjust for your background
- Engineers: you can usually move faster through the technical module. Spend the saved time on product sense users and pain points, where engineers often jump to solutions.
- Consultants: structure and strategy tend to come naturally. Put extra time into user empathy and metrics diagnosis, and practice sounding less like a slide.
- Designers: product sense is often a strength. Add reps in estimation and metrics.
- Working PMs: your stories exist; your risk is rust and long-windedness. Prioritize timed practice and the 90-second story drill.
Try it Open your calendar now and block the practice time for the next seven days, including the two hours on your weekend days. A plan that isn't on the calendar usually doesn't happen.
Recap
- Use the 7-day plan for a near interview and the 30-day plan for a month; compress or stretch using the rules above.
- Spend about two thirds of your time practicing out loud, timed and graded.
- Record a diagnostic answer before day 1 and compare it at the end.
- On short timelines, go deep on product sense, metrics and behavioral first.
- Adjust emphasis for your background, and put the practice blocks on your calendar today.
You’ve just read one of 15 free lessons.
The other 73, including 66 worked answers written out in full, are in the full kit: $129 once.