Build a Prototype for Your PM Interviews
Will Lowrey
Coach/Co-Owner @ UpwardProductManagement
Show the hiring manager how you think, with something they can click.
In this market the hard part is getting the interview. Once you have one, the job is making it count.
I’ve had clients building prototypes for their interviews all fall. A small working example built around the company’s problem gives you a way to show how you choose a problem, what you cut, how you would measure success, and where a person should still make the call.
Over three weeks we build yours. In session one you choose the problem and get a first version on screen with AI. In session two we review your work, make the product decisions clear, and practice how to present it in an interview. You’ll prepare a link and a short walkthrough video for your follow-up. Session three is demo day: walk me through it as if I’m the interviewer, handle questions, and get feedback. Open practice continues afterward.
You don’t need to know how to code. Bring a target company and job description, your subscription on an LLM of choice (Claude, Codex, Gemini, etc), and a few hours between sessions to build.
It changes the conversation and moves away from just answering 'how do you use AI in your work?' to leading with examples of how you think and demonstrate your expertise!
What you’ll learn
Turn a target company’s real problem into a working prototype, and walk an interviewer through it in a way that shows how you think.
Use the job posting, the product, and one recruiter question to find a problem the team cares about.
Scope it to one useful flow you can build and explain.
Write a closing line that offers the prototype naturally when you introduce yourself.
Practice inviting the interviewer into a conversation about the problem you chose.
Describe the flow in plain English and use AI to write the code. No engineering background is required.
Test the main flow with sample data and fix the parts that get in the way.
Keep a short log of your decisions, trade-offs, and what you deliberately left out.
Choose a success metric, name the risks, and explain where human judgment matters.
Prepare a working link and a 3 to 4 minute walkthrough video.
Write a short follow-up for interviews where there is no time to demo.
Walk through the problem, the important parts of the flow, and why you made those choices.
Practice interruptions and questions about evidence, trade-offs, and how you would measure success.
Learn directly from Will
Will Lowrey
20 years in product. Former Head of Product at Indeed. 200+ PMs coached.
Who this course is for
Product managers interviewing now who want hiring managers and final-round interviewers to see how they think.
PMs preparing for a new-year job search who want a concrete example to discuss alongside their interview stories.
People moving into product from design, engineering, program management, or operations who want to demonstrate product judgment.
Prerequisites
A target company and role
Bring a job description and public information about the company. No active interview or coding experience is required.
A vibe-coding platform and subscription (Claude Code or Codex recommended)
I'll provide some details on how to get claude code set up, if you haven't already. Or you can do the same in Codex as well.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Will Lowrey in a real-time, interactive format.
Three live workshops, with recordings
Join three 90-minute Zoom sessions on December 1, 8, and 15, 2026, from 3:00–4:30 p.m. Eastern. Revisit the recordings and course materials when you need them.
Feedback on your prototype and presentation
Bring your first version to session two for feedback. Use demo day to practice presenting it, answer interviewer questions, and leave with specific improvements.
Build prompts and interview practice guides
Use the preparation brief, decisions log, demo outline, and follow-up guidance in the syllabus to move from an idea to a working prototype you can discuss in an interview.
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Course syllabus
3 live sessions • 3 lessons
Live sessions
1-2 hrs / week
Three 90-minute Zoom sessions: Tuesdays, December 1, 8, and 15, 2026, from 3:00–4:30 p.m. Eastern. Demo day includes optional open practice afterward. Recordings are included.
Build and rehearse
3 hrs / week
Plan on a few hours between sessions to build your prototype, record decisions, apply feedback, and rehearse a short walkthrough. The amount of time depends on the scope you choose.
Week 1
- 📄
Build v1 and keep a decisions log
Dec
1
Session 1: Build your interview prototype
Build practice: Get your first version working
Between sessions one and two, make one flow work end to end and keep a record of the product decisions behind it.
Week 2
- 📄
Rehearse the demo and prepare your follow-up
Dec
8
Session 2: Present your prototype in the interview
Presentation practice: Prepare your demo
Between sessions two and three, turn the prototype into a short interview conversation and prepare a backup walkthrough.
Meet your coach: Will Lowrey
I’m a co-owner and coach at Upward Product Management. I’ve spent 20 years in product leadership, including roles at Indeed and Bazaarvoice, and coached more than 200 product managers.
I help people prepare for interviews and use AI in their product work. I’ve been working with clients on prototypes for interviews this fall, and this series brings that work into a small group format.
I’ll build alongside you, help you make the product decisions clear, and ask the questions an interviewer might ask. By demo day, you’ll have practiced both the walkthrough and the conversation around it.
Frequently asked questions
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