A senior sales leader insists a big customer needs a feature that is not on your roadmap. How do you handle that conversation?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests prioritisation & roadmapping. Names explicit criteria like impact, effort, risk and strategic fit, explains what they said no to and why, and keeps the roadmap tied to outcomes.
• Strong answers: Digs into the underlying need, weighs it against existing priorities with data, considers alternatives, and communicates a clear decision.
• Likely follow-up: What would make you actually change the roadmap for one customer?

Another way it may be asked: The head of sales says a major client will leave unless you build something new right away. What do you do?

A structure to follow: Answer, explain, example, limits

1. Step 1

   Answer

   Give your direct answer in the first sentence so the interviewer knows where you are going.

2. Step 2

   Explain

   Say how it works or why you would do it that way, in plain words before jargon.

3. Step 3

   Example

   Anchor it in something you have actually done or seen, with the detail that shows hands-on experience.

4. Step 4

   Limits

   Say when your approach would not be the right one. It shows judgement.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Reciting a definition without showing you have applied it.
• Using terms you cannot explain if asked a level deeper.
• Claiming experience beyond what you can discuss in detail.

How to practise it

Say the answer in 90 seconds, then answer the follow-up as if it were a new question.

Related questions

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• If you were asked to improve a product you had never used before, how would you figure out what its users actually need?
• Tell me about a time you had to explain a complicated idea to someone without your background. How did you make sure it landed?
• Walk me through how you defined success for a feature you recently shipped, and which numbers you watched after launch.

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