CM Interview Masterclass: 1 Hour Live, 24 Oct with Siddharth Maheshwari

Saturday, 24 Oct 2026, 8:00 to 9:15 PM IST, live on Google Meet.

I interview and hire for category, brand and growth roles, and I coach candidates 1:1 into Category Manager interviews. This masterclass is everything I tell them, in one hour, live.

What we cover

1. The typical questions. The diagnosis case (GMV is down 30%, diagnose it), unit economics (MRP to contribution margin), the guesstimate, the negotiation case (the platform wants 15%, finance says 10%), the JBP question, and your first 90 days.
2. How to answer them. The order-of-operations method for cases, the funnel method for guesstimates, trade-don't-concede for negotiations, and the 30-60-90 plan. Model answers spoken out loud, in the English you'll use in the room.
3. How to think and win as a category manager. The four JBP levers, availability before everything, offtake vs primary, and what the panel is really testing in each round.
4. Shortlist to final selection. What gets a resume past a hiring manager in 20 seconds, how to answer "why this move", and what the final round actually decides.

Who it's for

Anyone with a Category Manager, Key Account Manager, Brand Manager, or e-commerce / quick commerce interview coming up. 0 to 8 years of experience.

Format

60 minutes live, then 15 minutes of your questions. I'll answer the best ones live.

Your host

IIT Roorkee. ISB. 13 years, 8 companies. Made it to AVP.

Bring one interview question you've been asked.