What it tests

Ability to translate a technical or complex product into specific, role-relevant use cases and sell a vision — not just features — to a mixed panel

Format

1Candidate receives a product brief and is given 48 hours to prepare a 15-minute presentation
2Task: present 3 concrete use cases for the product targeting a specific buyer persona (e.g., VP Engineering at a fintech company)
3For each use case: what's the before state, how does the product solve it, and what's the measurable after state
4Panel of 3 (AE leader, Solutions Engineer, peer AE) listens, then runs 15 minutes of Q&A — including at least one 'So what?' challenge per use case

What to look for

Are the use cases genuinely specific to the named persona — or generic enough to fit any company?
Can they quantify the 'after state' with real numbers, or do they default to vague outcomes like 'improves efficiency'?
When hit with 'So what?' — do they have a second layer of value, or does the argument collapse?
Do they tie each use case back to the buyer's business priorities (cost, growth, risk) rather than product capabilities?

Adaptation guide

Rotate the target buyer persona per interview to prevent candidates from copying each other's presentations. For PLG companies, replace the panel presentation with a Loom-recorded async version to test async communication skills alongside content quality.

Full description

Format:

Candidate receives a product brief and is given 48 hours to prepare a 15-minute presentation
Task: present 3 concrete use cases for the product targeting a specific buyer persona (e.g., VP Engineering at a fintech company)
For each use case: what's the before state, how does the product solve it, and what's the measurable after state
Panel of 3 (AE leader, Solutions Engineer, peer AE) listens, then runs 15 minutes of Q&A — including at least one "So what?" challenge per use case

Time: 30 minutes

What to look for:

Are the use cases genuinely specific to the named persona — or generic enough to fit any company?
Can they quantify the "after state" with real numbers, or do they default to vague outcomes like "improves efficiency"?
When hit with "So what?" — do they have a second layer of value, or does the argument collapse?
Do they tie each use case back to the buyer's business priorities (cost, growth, risk) rather than product capabilities?

Adaptation: Rotate the target buyer persona per interview to prevent candidates from copying each other's presentations. For PLG companies, replace the panel presentation with a Loom-recorded async version to test async communication skills alongside content quality.