What is a Product Manager at Persistent Systems?

At Persistent Systems, the Product Manager role is at the intersection of digital engineering excellence and client-centric innovation. As a global leader in software product development and digital transformation, Persistent Systems relies on its Product Managers to translate complex business requirements into scalable, market-ready solutions. You are not just managing a backlog; you are the strategic bridge between engineering teams, architects, and global clients, ensuring that every feature delivered adds measurable value to the ecosystem.

The impact of this position is significant, as Persistent Systems often works on mission-critical products for high-profile clients in sectors like healthcare, banking, and telecommunications. You will be responsible for navigating the entire product lifecycle—from discovery and strategy to execution and post-launch optimization. Whether you are working on internal intellectual property or driving a client-specific product roadmap, your ability to balance technical feasibility with business viability is what defines success in this role.

This role is particularly critical because Persistent Systems operates in a highly competitive digital engineering landscape. You will face challenges involving high-scale architecture, multi-tenant cloud environments, and specialized domains such as Observability, Cloud Operations, and Data Analytics. Your success depends on your ability to lead through influence, manage diverse stakeholder expectations, and maintain a sharp focus on the "why" behind every product decision.

Common Interview Questions

Expect a mix of behavioral, situational, and analytical questions. The goal of these questions is to see how you handle the pressure of real-world product challenges.

Product Strategy & Design

These questions test your creativity and your ability to build products that users love while meeting business goals.

• How would you improve the user experience of a legacy enterprise application?
• Design a product for a specific niche, like "Product Management for non-tech users."
• What is your favorite product and how would you monetize it differently?

Guesstimates & Analytics

These test your quantitative reasoning and ability to make data-driven assumptions.

• How many electric vehicle charging stations are needed in Pune?
• Estimate the annual revenue of a popular SaaS tool in the Indian market.
• How would you measure the success of a feature that has no direct revenue impact?

Behavioral & Leadership

These questions focus on how you work with others and handle difficult situations.

• Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a lead architect. How did you resolve it?
• Describe a situation where you had to manage a client who was unhappy with the delivery timeline.
• How do you handle a situation where you have limited data but need to make a critical product decision?

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparing for an interview at Persistent Systems requires a blend of traditional product management theory and a deep understanding of the software services and product engineering lifecycle. You should approach your preparation by focusing on how you can deliver value within a structured, often client-driven environment.

Role-Related Knowledge – At Persistent Systems, this means a mastery of Agile methodologies and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Interviewers will evaluate your ability to manage product roadmaps, prioritize features under tight deadlines, and your familiarity with tools like Jira or Confluence. You must demonstrate that you can manage the "marginal responsibilities" that come with complex program profiles.

Problem-Solving Ability – You will be tested on your ability to think on your feet through guesstimates and product strategy cases. Interviewers look for a structured approach—breaking down large, ambiguous problems into smaller, manageable components. They are less interested in the "correct" number and more interested in the logic and assumptions you use to get there.

Stakeholder and Client Management – Since many PM roles at Persistent Systems involve client-facing responsibilities, your ability to communicate effectively with external partners is paramount. You must show that you can handle conflicting requirements, manage "client rounds" with poise, and translate technical constraints into business-friendly language.

Technical Fluency – While you aren't expected to code, you must be able to hold your own in conversations with Architects and Engineering Leads. Understanding the domain—such as Observability, SaaS, or Cloud Infrastructure—is vital, as you will often be interviewed by technical experts who value precision and clear technical reasoning.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process at Persistent Systems for a Product Manager position is designed to test both your internal cultural fit and your external client-readiness. The process typically spans several weeks and moves from high-level screenings to deep-dive technical and strategic evaluations. You should expect a mix of internal interviews and, in many cases, interviews with the specific clients you will be supporting.

The journey usually begins with a screening call from HR, followed by two to three rounds of internal interviews focusing on product strategy, execution, and domain expertise. A unique aspect of the Persistent Systems process is the inclusion of "Client Rounds," where you will be interviewed by the end-users or partners of the product you will manage. This ensures that you possess the professional polish and communication skills necessary to represent the company externally.

The timeline above illustrates the typical progression from the initial HR touchpoint to the final client evaluation. Candidates should use this to pace their preparation, ensuring they are ready for high-level strategy early on and detailed domain-specific questions in the middle stages. Note that the duration can vary significantly based on client availability, sometimes taking up to six weeks to reach a final decision.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Product Strategy and Guesstimates

This area evaluates your ability to think long-term while maintaining a grasp on the immediate data. Persistent Systems values PMs who can define a vision but also calculate the market size or resource requirements needed to achieve it. You will be asked to walk through your decision-making process for new features and how you align them with broader business goals.

Be ready to go over:

• Market Sizing – Using logical frameworks to estimate users, revenue, or volume for a specific product or feature.
• Prioritization Frameworks – Explaining how you use RICE, MoSCoW, or Kano models to manage a product backlog.
• Competitive Analysis – Identifying market gaps and how to position a Persistent Systems product against competitors.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Estimate the number of daily active users for a new healthcare monitoring app in India."
• "How would you decide which feature to build next if two major clients have conflicting requests?"
• "What metrics would you track to determine the success of a newly launched observability dashboard?"

Agile Execution and Delivery

Since Persistent Systems is a leader in digital engineering, your grasp of execution is non-negotiable. You must demonstrate a deep understanding of how products actually get built, from sprint planning to retrospective. Interviewers will look for your ability to work within an Agile framework and your experience managing the "program profile" of a product.

Be ready to go over:

• Sprint Management – How you handle blockers, scope creep, and velocity.
• Technical Constraints – Working with architects to understand what is feasible within a given tech stack.
• Release Planning – Coordinating with cross-functional teams to ensure timely delivery.
• Advanced concepts – Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), CI/CD integration for PMs, and managing technical debt.

Client and Stakeholder Management

This is often the "make or break" stage for PMs at Persistent Systems. You must prove that you can be the face of the company. This involves not just answering questions, but actively managing the conversation and building trust with client stakeholders.

Be ready to go over:

• Conflict Resolution – Navigating disagreements between internal engineering teams and external clients.
• Expectation Setting – How to say "no" or "not now" to a client without damaging the relationship.
• Professional Presence – Your ability to present complex roadmaps clearly and confidently.

Key Responsibilities

As a Product Manager at Persistent Systems, your primary responsibility is to own the product lifecycle and ensure that the engineering output matches the client's strategic intent. You will spend a significant portion of your time collaborating with Architects, UX Designers, and Engineering Managers to refine requirements and ensure that the "Definition of Ready" is met for every sprint.

You will be expected to drive the product roadmap by analyzing market trends and gathering feedback from stakeholders. This is not a "siloed" role; you will be constantly interacting with various departments. For example, you might work with the sales team to understand customer pain points, then immediately pivot to a technical grooming session with developers to discuss API limitations.

Typical projects include developing custom software solutions for Fortune 500 companies, enhancing internal digital transformation platforms, or managing specialized tools in the Observability and Cloud domains. You are responsible for the "what" and the "why," ensuring that the team is always working on the most impactful tasks.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for a Product Manager role at Persistent Systems, you typically need a strong background in software engineering or a related technical field, combined with several years of direct product management experience.

• Technical Skills – Proficiency in Agile/Scrum methodologies is essential. Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and domain-specific knowledge (e.g., Observability, FinTech, or Healthcare IT) is highly valued.
• Experience Level – Most PM roles require 8–12 years of experience, while Senior PM roles often look for 14+ years. A track record of delivering B2B or enterprise-grade software is a major advantage.
• Soft Skills – Exceptional communication and presentation skills are mandatory, especially for roles involving client rounds. You must be patient, structured, and able to handle ambiguity.

Must-have skills:

• Strong experience with Jira, Confluence, and roadmap visualization tools.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Deep understanding of the SDLC and modern software delivery practices.

Nice-to-have skills:

• MBA from a reputable institution.
• Certifications like PMP, CSPO, or SAFe.
• Experience in a specific vertical like Life Sciences or Banking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How technical do I need to be for this role? While you don't need to write code, you must understand system architecture and be able to discuss technical trade-offs with senior architects. Being "technically curious" is a core requirement at Persistent Systems.

Q: What is the most challenging part of the interview process? Many candidates find the "Client Rounds" the most challenging, as they require a high level of professional polish and the ability to answer unpredictable questions from external stakeholders.

Q: How long does the hiring process typically take? The process can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 1.5 months. The timeline is often dictated by the availability of client interviewers and the internal approval hierarchy.

Q: Is there a specific framework I should use for guesstimates? The "Top-Down" or "Bottom-Up" approaches are both acceptable. The key is to state your assumptions clearly and ensure your math is consistent throughout the explanation.

Other General Tips

• Master the Domain: If you are interviewing for a specific unit like Observability or Data, spend time researching the current trends and major players in that space.
• Be Patient with HR: Candidates have noted that communication from HR can sometimes be slow or inconsistent. Maintain a professional follow-up cadence and don't get discouraged by delays.
• Structure Your Answers: Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method for behavioral questions and a clear framework (Users -> Pain Points -> Solutions) for product design questions.
• Research Your Interviewers: Knowing the background of your interviewer (e.g., if they are an Architect or a Business Head) will help you tailor your language and the level of technical detail you provide.

Summary & Next Steps

A Product Manager role at Persistent Systems is a high-impact opportunity to lead digital transformation at scale. It offers the chance to work with global clients and cutting-edge engineering teams on products that move the needle for entire industries. By focusing your preparation on Agile execution, client management, and structured problem-solving, you can demonstrate that you have the multifaceted skill set required to thrive in this environment.

Success at Persistent Systems comes to those who can balance the rigor of engineering with the empathy of product thinking. As you move through the rounds, remember to stay structured, stay patient, and always keep the client's needs at the center of your narrative.

The compensation data above reflects the competitive nature of the Product Manager role in the Indian market. When discussing salary, consider your years of experience and the specific domain expertise you bring, as these are the primary levers for positioning yourself within the higher end of the range. For more detailed insights and to practice with real-world scenarios, continue your journey on Dataford.