KOHO Product Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I applied for the Sr PM Growth position and spoke with the recruiter. I confirmed that fintech experience, while preferred, wasn't mandatory. The recruiter emphasized their need for someone skilled in product growth, and I shared examples of my A/B testing, campaign management, and growth feature experience. After that positive call, I advanced to speak with their new Chief Product Officer, Jack. Unfortunately, this call was a major disappointment. Jack was a few minutes late without acknowledgment. He started by summarizing his career achievements and then asked me to present my resume. I gave a brief overview, but his subsequent questions showed he hadn't paid attention to my responses, the recruiter's notes, or my resume. He questioned my lack of financial sector experience, stating it made me unfit, yet continued with the interview. The tone became aggressive, like a hostile pitch session. Despite my repeated explanations of growing products without financial industry experience, he then asked about my experience with KYC ID management in banking. It became clear I wouldn't want to work with him. For a Canadian company focused on improving banking for Canadians, the CPO could certainly show more Canadian courtesy and politeness.

I had a really bad interview experience with KOHO recently. I went through 10 interviews, starting with the recruiter and ending with the VP of product, and I even did a take-home assignment. It felt like a lot of the interviews were repetitive. After the last interview, they told me my take-home was good but I didn't have enough experience, and asked if I'd be considered for a non-senior PM role. I was shocked because I have years of experience and good references, and it took them 10 rounds to realize this. I was also dealing with a family death during this time, and I don't think a slightly off interview should mean I'm unqualified. It felt like a total waste of my time and energy. Good companies have efficient processes that respect everyone's time. I'd look somewhere else.

There were many rounds, but it was nice meeting everyone and they all seemed to really believe in the company. You should be ready to do a case study or show a portfolio and talk about why you made the choices you did.