Metrics question
Consider there is a company say LinkedIn. Which are the top three metrics you would see first thing in the morning?
Practice this question out loud. An AI interviewer asks it, follows up like a real interviewer would, and scores your answer. Type or speak.
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What this question tests
Tests prioritization of metrics: picking the few numbers that actually indicate business health for a professional network, not just listing everything trackable.
How to approach it
- Clarify the role: assume this is from the lens of a senior PM or exec who needs a daily pulse, not a deep-dive analyst.
- State LinkedIn's core value loop: professionals return to build their network, consume content, and find jobs/leads, which drives ad and subscription revenue.
- Pick metric 1: DAU/MAU ratio (stickiness), since it signals whether the core habit is forming.
- Pick metric 2: sessions with a meaningful action (message sent, connection accepted, application submitted), since raw visits don't show value delivered.
- Pick metric 3: revenue-adjacent metric like Premium subscription conversions or ad impressions/revenue, tying product health to the business.
- Explain why these three together cover engagement, value delivered, and monetization, rather than picking three overlapping engagement numbers.
What a strong answer includes
- Picks exactly three metrics spanning three different layers (habit strength, value delivered, monetization) instead of three similar engagement numbers.
- Explains why DAU/MAU matters specifically for a network product like LinkedIn, where habitual return visits build the graph's value.
- Chooses a 'meaningful action' metric over raw session count, reflecting that not all visits are equal for a professional network.
- Connects at least one metric directly to revenue, showing business awareness beyond pure engagement.
Common mistakes
- Picking three metrics that are all just variations of engagement (DAU, sessions, time spent) with no revenue or value-delivered angle.
- No justification for why these three and not others.
- Ignoring that this is a professional network with different usage patterns (weekday-heavy) than consumer social apps.
Likely follow-up questions
- How would these three metrics differ on a Monday versus a weekend?
- Which of these would you drop if you could only pick two?
- How would you explain a DAU/MAU drop with stable session actions?
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Learn the skill behind it
Chapters of the AI PM course that teach what this question tests.
- Chapter 9: Prove it paid off: outcomes, economics, and pricing
- Chapter 2: Data fluency: SQL, logs, and reading the truth yourself
- Chapter 14: Get the job: the AI PM interview loop