Tell me about a time you decided to stop or kill something your team had invested in. How did you make that call?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests ownership & judgement. Takes responsibility for outcomes including mistakes, makes calls with incomplete information, and explains the reasoning and what they learned.
• What to bring out: Uses evidence over sunk cost, owns the decision, handles the team and stakeholders with care, and redirects effort productively.
• Expect a follow-up like: How did the team react, and what did you do about it?

Another way it may be asked: Have you ever shut down a feature or project people had worked hard on? How did you decide, and how did you handle it?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

1. Step 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

2. Step 2

   Task

   What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the ownership & judgement you showed is visible.

3. Step 3

   Action

   The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

4. Step 4

   Result

   What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

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

• Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
• Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
• Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

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