About Valenx Institute

Valenx Institute is an independent publisher focused on one mission: helping ambitious tech professionals land their dream roles at top companies. We publish the Interview Playbook series — 15 role-specific guides covering Product Management, Software Engineering, Data Science, AI/ML Engineering, and more.

Our books are used by candidates preparing for interviews at Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, ByteDance, TikTok, and 100+ other technology companies worldwide. Each playbook contains real interview questions, frameworks, and strategies — not generic advice.

About the Author

Johnny Mai is a Silicon Valley product leader with experience at Amazon (AI/Robotics) and Microsoft. He holds a degree from the University of California and has spent over a decade building products at the intersection of AI and consumer technology.

Johnny has interviewed hundreds of PM candidates as an Amazon Bar Raiser and used that experience to create the Interview Playbook series. His frameworks have helped thousands of candidates navigate the hiring process at FAANG and top-tier tech companies.

Connect: sirjohnnymai.com · LinkedIn · GitHub

What We Publish

The Interview Playbook series includes 15 titles across these roles:

Product Management — The flagship guide, covering product sense, behavioral, and analytical interviews

Software Engineering — System design, coding, and behavioral for SWE roles

Data Science — Statistics, SQL, ML, and case study interviews

AI/ML Engineering — Deep learning, MLOps, and research interviews

Engineering Management — Leadership, team building, and technical strategy

Technical Program Management — Cross-functional execution and program design

Solutions Architect — System design and client-facing technical interviews

And 8 more specialized roles

All books are available on Amazon Kindle and through our website.

Our Approach

Every Interview Playbook is built on three principles:

Real questions, not hypotheticals. Every question comes from actual interview loops at real companies.

Frameworks, not scripts. We teach thinking patterns that work across companies — not memorized answers that fail under pressure.

Role-specific depth. A PM interview is fundamentally different from an SWE interview. Each book is written for its specific audience.