Tell me about a time something you shipped broke in production. What did you do in the moment and afterwards?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests ownership. Talks about owning outcomes not just tasks, follows through after shipping, admits mistakes and describes the fixes and prevention they drove.
• What to bring out: Taking responsibility without blame, fast mitigation, clear communication, a root cause analysis, and specific changes made to prevent it happening again.
• Expect a follow-up like: What did you change in your own way of working because of it?

Another way it may be asked: Think of a release of yours that caused a problem for users. Walk me through how you handled 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 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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