Role Misalignment & Clarity Applied for "Director of Product Growth" but discovered the role is essentially a senior product manager position focused on tactical execution (A/B testing, experimentation tooling). When asked to clarify scope and reporting structure, received vague responses about wanting someone "strategic but hands-on"; a red flag for unclear role definition and unrealistic expectations. Interview Approach The conversation felt more like a research interview or free consulting session than a mutual evaluation. Significant time spent extracting strategic insights and frameworks from my background, while the interviewer's questions focused on granular PM mechanics rather than leadership capabilities. Was given approximately one minute for questions at the end, Concerns for Senior Candidates Title inflation: "Director" used to attract senior talent for what is effectively a senior IC/manager role Extraction interviewing: Candidates' strategic expertise solicited without reciprocal transparency "High bar" narrative: Used probably to justify below-market compensation and unclear scope Role ambiguity: No clear delineation between strategic leadership and tactical execution. Bottom line if you need a PM to run the show, stop advertising as director. Talk more about the role and the structure it properly. Startup or not, one person will clearly be responsible for a product, or a portfolio of products and P&L ownership, clear yes or no. Also disclose salary correctly, from online research it seems the pay is half of the Directors salary in an insurtech/fintech