Behavioral question
If you meet the CEO of <your current company> in the elevator, what would you say to them?
- Behavioral
- Easy
Practice this question out loud. An AI interviewer asks it, follows up like a real interviewer would, and scores your answer. Type or speak.
Start a mock interview on this question · Mock interview from a job description
What this question tests
Tests communication and prioritization under a tight, high-stakes, low-structure prompt: can the candidate distill their most important point for a senior leader in seconds.
How to approach it
- Pick one concrete, current topic worth 30 seconds of a CEO's time, not a vague pleasantry.
- Frame it as a brief insight or ask, such as a specific customer pain point or opportunity, not a status update.
- State the potential impact in one sentence so the CEO immediately understands why it matters.
- Offer a clear next step, such as 'I would love five minutes to walk you through it,' rather than trying to resolve it in the elevator.
- Keep the tone confident and concise, since the format itself (an elevator) is the whole point of the question.
What a strong answer includes
- Picks a specific, real, current issue or opportunity rather than a generic compliment or small talk.
- Frames the message around impact for the company, not the candidate's own visibility.
- Respects the format: a genuinely short, elevator-length pitch, not a rehearsed monologue.
- Ends with a concrete follow-up ask instead of leaving the idea unresolved.
Common mistakes
- Using the moment for small talk or flattery instead of substance.
- Trying to explain something too complex for a 30-second window.
Likely follow-up questions
- What would you do if the CEO asked a follow-up question you could not fully answer on the spot?
- How would you choose which of several ideas to lead with?
More behavioral questions
- How do you know when to cut corners to get a product out the door?Shopify · Behavioral · Medium
- How do you define a good PM vs. a bad PM?Google · Behavioral · Easy
- How did you handle communicating with various types of stakeholders on a project you recently ran and what did you find most effective?Google · Behavioral · Easy
- How do you make sure you keep improving as a PM?Google · Behavioral · Easy
- What kind of project would you like to work with?Google · Behavioral · Easy
- How would you keep developers working on a product motivated and turning out quality work?Shopify · Behavioral · Easy
More questions from Google
Learn the skill behind it
Chapters of the AI PM course that teach what this question tests.
- Chapter 13: Lead the room: staff moves, forward-deployed PM, and the portfolio
- Chapter 14: Get the job: the AI PM interview loop