Interview Prep
The Ultimate Interview Playbook
Battle-tested preparation tactics from former hiring managers and recruiters.
SECTION 1
Pre-Interview Research (The Deep Dive)
Dissect the company
- ✓Skim the latest annual report or investor letter for priorities and risks
- ✓Check recent funding rounds, acquisitions and press coverage
- ✓Read the engineering or product blog to learn their stack and challenges
Research your interviewers
- ✓Look them up on LinkedIn: tenure, past companies, projects
- ✓Note shared ground — tools, schools, industries
- ✓Prepare one question tied to something they've worked on
3 questions to never ask
- ✓"So, what does your company do?"
- ✓"How soon can I take holiday?" (in a first round)
- ✓"Did I get the job?"
5 high-signal questions to impress the panel
- ✓What would success look like in the first 90 days?
- ✓What's the biggest challenge the team faces this quarter?
- ✓How do you measure impact for this role?
- ✓What did the last person in this seat do exceptionally well?
- ✓What's one thing you'd change about how the team works?
SECTION 2
Day-Of Preparation & Practical Logistics
In-person essentials
- ✓A physical notepad and pen for notes and your prepared questions
- ✓Two or three printed copies of your CV
- ✓Your own discreet water bottle — so a dry throat never throws you mid-answer
- ✓Arrive 10 minutes early; know the route and who to ask for
Remote / Zoom checklist
- ✓Camera at eye level — stack books under the laptop if needed
- ✓Light in front of you, never behind
- ✓Wired earbuds to eliminate audio echo
- ✓A clean, plain background and notifications silenced
SECTION 3
The Frameworks (How to Answer)
The STAR Method, simply
S
Situation
Our checkout API started failing two days before Black Friday.
T
Task
I owned getting it stable before the traffic spike.
A
Action
Traced it to a DB lock, added a queue and rolled out behind a flag.
R
Result
Error rate dropped 98%; we handled 3× normal traffic with zero downtime.
"What is your biggest weakness?"
- ✓Skip clichés like "I'm a perfectionist"
- ✓Name a real, non-core skill you're actively improving
- ✓Show the system you use to fix it, plus proof of progress
- ✓Example: "I used to under-delegate; I now run weekly handoffs and my team ships 30% more."
Salary expectations early in the screen
- ✓Research ranges first (levels.fyi, Glassdoor, local surveys)
- ✓Ask for their budgeted range before naming a number
- ✓If pushed, give a researched range with your target near the bottom
- ✓Say you're flexible on the total package, not just base
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