Tell me about a time you pushed engineering to fix a product issue they had deprioritised. How did you make the case?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests escalation & engineering collaboration. Escalates at the right time with clear reproduction steps and evidence, and builds a productive relationship with engineering.
• What to bring out: Gathers evidence like ticket volume, revenue at risk and time spent, presents it constructively, and keeps a good relationship with engineering.
• Expect a follow-up like: What would you have done if they still said no?

Another way it may be asked: Developers said a bug was not important, but customers kept hitting it. How did you get it fixed?

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 escalation & engineering collaboration 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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