Tell me about a project where you failed
Asked at:
Meta
Netflix
Snowflake
PayPal
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What is this question about
Interviewers want to see self-awareness, accountability, and your learning loop when things go wrong. They’re testing whether you can diagnose root causes, mitigate impact, communicate candidly, and implement durable fixes. The best answers show scope-appropriate decision-making and how your behavior changed afterward. The goal isn’t a flawless record—it’s credible growth and reliability under stress.
Key Insights
- Your failure story should be consequential at your level; right-size the stakes and own the parts you controlled.
- Treat the story as a mini postmortem: root causes, decisions, mitigations, and systemic changes—not just the outcome.
- Show proof of improvement with data or follow-up examples; saying you learned isn’t as strong as showing behavior change that worked.
What interviewers probe atlevel
Top Priority
Show a similar situation later where you handled it better.
Good examples
🟢On the next API integration, I used the checklist and shipped with zero rollbacks.
🟢I sought peer reviews on tricky code paths and reduced my bug rate measurably.
Bad examples
🔴I learned a lot and won’t make that mistake again.
🔴Since then, I try to be extra careful with my code.
Weak is intent; strong provides evidence from a subsequent success.
Own your choices, not just the circumstances, and name what you’d do differently.
Good examples
🟢I underestimated the payment API and didn’t ask for help early; I should have split the work and scheduled pairing.
🟢I merged with minimal tests under time pressure and caused a rollback; I chose speed over safety.
Bad examples
🔴I missed the deadline because QA filed a lot of bugs last minute and product changed scope.
🔴The CI server was flaky so my PR didn’t merge and that’s why the feature slipped.
Weak externalizes blame; strong owns specific decisions and tradeoffs within their control.
Show you can triage, ask for help, and stabilize quickly.
Good examples
🟢I flagged the issue, rolled back my change, and opened an incident with a clear repro.
🟢I feature-flagged the risky path and shipped a hotfix while we investigated.
Bad examples
🔴I kept trying different fixes because I didn’t want to escalate and slow things down.
🔴I disabled tests locally to keep moving and planned to fix them later.
Weak hides or compounds risk; strong stabilizes first and engages support quickly.
Show a concrete habit or guardrail you now use consistently.
Good examples
🟢I added contract tests for the API and a pre-merge checklist I now use on every feature.
🟢I created a lint rule to block the pattern that caused the bug and added CI coverage.
Bad examples
🔴I decided to double-check my work more carefully.
🔴I promised to write more tests going forward.
Weak is intention-only; strong adds automation or routines that persist.
Valuable
Show basic estimation, slicing, and rollback awareness.
Good examples
🟢I split the feature into milestones and set up a feature flag to de-risk rollout.
🟢I identified tricky areas and scheduled time with a senior for early review.
Bad examples
🔴I took the whole feature and planned to wire it up at the end.
🔴I didn’t think about rollback because it was a small change.
Weak plans big-bang and hopes; strong slices work and prepares safety nets.
Show curiosity: ask for reviews, pair, and learn from users/metrics.
Good examples
🟢I asked for an early design review and found edge cases we missed.
🟢I added logging and watched dashboards after release to catch issues fast.
Bad examples
🔴I figured I could handle it and didn’t want to bother anyone.
🔴I only realized it was broken when users complained.
Weak avoids feedback; strong creates early signals and seeks input.
Flag risk early and keep updates factual and frequent.
Good examples
🟢I posted a status with the risk, what I tried, and asked for a pair review.
🟢I shared a daily update with blockers and a revised estimate.
Bad examples
🔴I waited to tell my lead until I had a fix so I wouldn’t worry them.
🔴I said everything was fine and then the deadline slipped by a week.
Weak surprises the team; strong surfaces risk early with specifics and asks.
Question Timeline
See when this question was last asked and where, including any notes left by other candidates.
Mid December, 2025
Netflix
Senior
Mid September, 2025
PayPal
Senior
Early September, 2025
Snowflake
Manager
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