NoSQL

NoSQL Data models:

1. key-value 
1. Aggregate model. 
2. key or id is used to get the data. 
3. Lookup is based on the key.  
2. document
1. Aggregate model. 
2. key or id used to get the data. 
3. Lookup is based on the fields in the aggregate in form of query. Parts of the aggregate are retrieved rather than whole. DB will create indexes on the aggregate. 
1. People can put ids for lookup.
2. Mostly the lookup will be on something else and not id. 
3. Partial lookups are possible. 
3. column family
1. Data is organized into columns. 
2. Useful in case of reads. 
3. Imposes structure on the aggregate. 
4. graph

Data distribution Model:

1. Sharding: Distributes different data across different servers. 
2. Replication: Copies data across multiple servers. Configurations include: 
1. Master-Slave: 
1. Master handles writes and sync with Slave
2. Slave handles reads
3. Reduces the chance of update conflicts. 
2. Peer-to-peer:
1. Any handle/system will be able to handle the writes. They will sync with each other. 
2. Avoids single point of failure but will need to take care of conflicts. 

DB scaling Tips & Tricks: 

1. Don't use shared databases for different applications. Instead use single database for single applications. Then get the data from different applications into Hadoop file system(shared Database). 
2. Vertical Scaling: It means adding disk space, storage, memory. 
3. Horizontal Scaling: It means adding more machines/clusters. 
4. Relational databases can't work on clusters because they communicate to the single disk space. So by desing they will follow vertical scaling. 
1. For different sets of data, rdbms runs on different servers(effectively sharding the data).
2. Application layer takes care of which data is stored where. 
3. RDBMS are usually single server and negotiation of contracts get tedious. 
4. They are aggregate ignorant. 
5. Polygot persistence: It means using different data stores in different circumstances.
6. NoSQL is used as application DB and not integration DB.
7. Aggregate orientation ensures that minimum number of nodes are queried to get the data. 
1. It helps to aggregate data together to ensure that similar data lies on single node so querying is easy and optimized. 
2. Its central to cluster. 
3. DB will ensure data is stored together on nodes as aggregates.
4. Manipulation of multiple aggregate need to happen at the application level. 

You might also like:

System design cheatsheet

Big data basics

List of Product manager questions

1. One executive says that Feature A is more important and another executive says Feature B is more important. How do you choose which one to implement?
2. Talk about how you overcame product failures/challenges or poor feedback.
3. What’s the best way to work with executives?
4. How do you think product managers interact with engineers?
5. Tell me about a time when you had to build or motivate a team.
6. What is a product you currently use everyday, why and how would you improve it?
7. How do you know if a product is well designed?
8. Suggest a new feature for Amazon. What metrics would you use measure it’s success?
9. What metrics do you think would be important for us to track?
10. How many iPads are sold in the U.S. every year?
11. How do you think we came up with the price for _____ product?
12. How many windows are in New York City?
13. How many people are currently online in Europe?

Notes from a product conference

Recently I attended a product conference and here are my findings from several sessions that I attended. The sessions that I attended included:

1. Networking & how to build visibility

2. Relation building

3. Communication components

Below mentioned are the sections and the bits of advice that we got. This blog is in no way a complete picture of my experience but remnants of what I learnt throughout the session. And it gives some tips that experienced Product managers would love to share with new Product managers. So read on! 

1. Books to read:

1. Art of negotiation

2. Influence the psychology of Persusasion by Robert R Cioldini

2. To stay motivated use this motto

1. OMT: One more thing, One more time

3. For promotion

1. Act the role

2. Train your juniors

3. Invest in yourself

4. Step up & say yes if possible

5. Be an infinite learner

6. Even if you are 60% ready, go and ask for promotion.

7. Be a leader everyday if not then yearly once.

4. Importance of networking:

1. 85% of job reqs are filled by networking.

5. For every communication have:

1. Objectives

2. Key Results

6. For vision start defining the narratives by asking these questions:

1. What are the problems?

2. What are the opportunities?

7. While execution: 

1. Ensure customer satisfaction curve while implementation of the product.

8. How to build Visibility:

1. Look at the industry

2. Have a connection in Sales

3. Balance between execution & strategy

4. Work on relationship building

5. Build your Linkedin Public Profile by starting to like & comment.

Product manager design question #2

How would you implement Google Chrome for Kids navigation.

As usual we will tackle this design question with keeping Goal in mind. We will then list out the personas, their use-cases, features, metrics to track, and prioritization.

Goal: Safe browsing for kids.

Personas:

1. Toddler
2. Young kids
3. Teenagers

Use-cases:

1. Education
2. Browsing
3. Entertainment

Solutions/Features

1. Profiling: While setting up the browser the parent/authority will set the profile in a manner so that safe browsing is always enabled. Payments are automatically disabled in this profile.
1. Pros: Serves the purpose
2. Cons: Extra setup and some technical expertise.
2. API call:
1. When call is initiated from the safe profile then safe results are surfaced.
2. Payment fails if the call is initiated from the safe profile. This ensures that child doesn't order digital products by mistake.
3. Pros: Serves the purpose.
4. Cons: Requires expertise as to which content makes sense v/s which does not.
3. Notification: If weird/questionable content is requested then notification is sent to the authorities for review.
1. Pros: Proactive notifications ensure parents are on top of their kids searches.
2. Cons: Chances of false positive. If kids is required to do some weird searches for their biology class then it will result into false positives.
4. Override for parent functionality wherein they can use the same browser for their use.
1. Pros: Convenience. No need of second browser on same machine.
2. Cons: Chances are kid could learn how to override defeating the whole idea.
5. Reporting a summary of their kids searches.
6. Mature APIs based on search results and customer satisfaction.

Metric:

1. Customer satisfaction: Need to ensure that parents are satisfied with the product. And children are able to use it with ease.
2. Implementation complexity: Based on customer satisfaction, we will prioritize features based on implementation complexity. High complexity features can start earlier. Features on which a lot of other features are dependent can start earlier.

Prioritization:

1. Profiling as it a basic feature & API call as its part of the basic feature as must haves in MVP.
2. Override is also MVP as otherwise the browser will be unusable for the parents.
3. Notification, Reporting, Mature APIs can be part second release.

Product manager design question 1

How would you implement Chrome for Kids navigation.

Background:

Safe browsing for kids.

Personas:

1. Toddler
2. Young kids
3. Teenagers

Use-cases:

1. Education
2. Browsing
3. Entertainment

Solution: Metric: Implementation complexity:  

1. Profiling: While setting up the browser the parent/authority will set the profile in a manner so that safe browsing is always enabled. Payments are automatically disabled in this profile.
• Pros: Serves the purpose
• Cons: Extra setup and some technical expertise.
2. API call:
• When call is initiated from this profile then safe results are surfaced.
• Payment fails if the call is initiated from this profile.
• Cons: Requires expertise as to which content makes sense v/s which does not.
• Pros: Serves the purpose.
3. Notification: If weird content is requested then notification is sent to the authorities for review.
• Pros: Proactiveness
• Cons: Chances of false positive. If kids is required to do some weird searches for their biology class. It will trigger a meeting with parents/school authorities.
4. Override for parent functionality wherein they can use the same browser for their use.
• Pros: Convenience. No need of second browser on same machine.
• Cons: Chances are kid could learn how to override defeating the whole idea.
5. Reporting a summary of their kids searches.
6. Mature APIs based on search results and customer satisfaction.

Prioritization:

1. Profiling as it a basic feature & API call as its part of the basic feature as must haves in MVP.
2. Override is also MVP as otherwise the browser will be unusable for the parents.
3. Notification, Reporting, Mature APIs can be part second release.

Product management: Marketing Frameworks: Cheat Sheet

During Product management interviews a lot of interviewers ask 'How will you market a product?' Reason is a lot of positions require interaction with the marketing teams, hence the question. For these type of questions, its best to answer with some frameworks. Here are 3 such frameworks to help construct your answers.

• AIDA
• REAN
• Marketing mix – 4Ps

AIDA:

This framework is useful for convincing the customer to buy your product. Here is the description of each of its phases

1. Attention: Get customer’s attention.
2. Interest: Get them interested in your product by telling them how it is going to solve the problem.
3. Desire: Make customers want your product by telling them how it will help them.
4. Action: Enable them to purchase the product.

REAN:

This framework is useful to maintain the relationship with the customer and keep them engaged so they remain your loyal customer.

1. Reach: Reach out to existing or new customers.
2. Engage: Engage with them by understanding their needs and relate it to the product features.
3. Activate: Motivate customer to purchase your product.
4. Nurture: Keep engaging with them to know their pain points and solve it at regular intervals.

Marketing mix – 4Ps

1. Product: 
1. What are the product’s features and how does it caters to the customer’s needs. 
2. Price:
1. Determines the customer personas who are buying the product or willing to buy the product. 
2. How many customers purchase the product.
3. Different prices for different channels like online, offline, retail stores, door to door marketing, etc
3. Promotion:
1. All forms of Ads, PR, word of mouth, sales,
4. Place:
1. Online or offline or at home. For ex:
1. Online: Amazon or ebay or retail site
2. Offline: Physical store, kiosk at mall
3. At-home: Gym instructor coming to home for personal training.

Hope you liked this cheat sheet as it will come in handy for the interview process. If you want cheat sheets on more topics, then please comment down below. I will be happy to create them for you.