Explore Kalena Advisors’ blog for expert insights on interviewing, career management, and enterprise technical product management best practices. Discover actionable tips, proven strategies, and industry trends to elevate your professional game.
-
Missed the PM Job? Why You’re Closer Than Ever
If you’ve ever walked out of a multi-round product management interview thinking, “That went pretty well,” only to get a rejection email days later—you’re not alone. Recently, a candidate I coached reached out to share that she had made it through four in-person rounds with six different interviewers. Her feedback? Overwhelmingly positive. In fact, one…
-
Google TPM Career Ladder: Salaries, Levels & Interview Secrets (2025 Guide)
Complete guide to Google TPM career ladder with 2025 salary data ($182K-$800K+), level-by-level interview strategies, and negotiation tips from coach with 86% FAANG success rate.
-
How to Get Hired at Google as a Technical Program Manager 🚀
If you’re aiming for a Google Technical Program Manager role, you’re not just interviewing—you’re being vetted to orchestrate complexity with style, swagger, and a no-nonsense edge. Expect this guide to unpack real-world TPM interview tactics—no fluff, just sharp insight. With candor that Bourdain would smirk at and clarity Nir Eyal would nod to, we cover…
-
How to Answer “Design a Better Bicycle” Like a PM at Meta (Without Sounding Like a Rookie)
So, you’re sitting across from a Meta hiring manager, confidently making small talk, when they hit you with the classic product design prompt: “Design a better bicycle.” This isn’t an engineering challenge. They don’t care about your knowledge of gear ratios or the tensile strength of titanium frames. This is a test of structured product…
-
How Great Product Managers and UX Designers Work Together to Build Exceptional Products
The relationship between Product Managers and UX Designers is a delicate dance—when done well, it’s like a well-rehearsed duet, each complementing the other’s moves. When done poorly, it’s like trying to waltz while stepping on each other’s feet. Both roles are critical to delivering a seamless, user-centric product. A PM ensures that business goals, technical…
-
Master the Investor Pitch Deck: A Startup’s Guide to Fundraising
Ah, the investor pitch deck—a bit like your band’s demo tape in high school. You’re not the Beatles (yet), but you’ve got to convince someone you’ve got the chops to sell out arenas. Here’s a quick playbook for making investors believe your startup is the next big thing, not the next Milli Vanilli. First off,…
-
Why the CIRCLES Framework Falls Short in Product Design Interviews—and How Kalena Advisors Can Help
If you’re prepping for a FAANG product management interview like at Meta and Google, you’ve likely encountered the CIRCLES framework. It’s shiny, it’s structured, and it promises to be your golden ticket. But here’s the hard truth: it’s a crutch, not a ladder. Hiring managers want ingenuity, adaptability, and the ability to read between the…
-
Top 5 Ways the (Amazon) STAR Method Works Poorly for Interview Candidates
Struggling to stand out in Amazon’s rigorous interview process? The STAR method is a popular framework, but many candidates fail to use it effectively, costing them the opportunity to impress. In this article, we reveal the top 5 reasons the STAR method doesn’t work for Amazon interviews and how to fix them. Learn to align…
-
Top 5 Mistakes Candidates Make in Google Software Engineering Interviews (and How to Avoid Them)
Preparing for a software engineering interview at Google is a monumental task, but even the most prepared candidates often fall into common traps. Here, we explore the top 5 mistakes candidates make during Google software engineering interviews and why these missteps can derail your chances. You’ll also find actionable tips to help you navigate the…