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LinkedIn·Data Scientist·Technical Phone Screen·Senior

Senior
May 2026

Summary

LinkedIn data science interview with a meaty open-ended question about comparing video posting behavior across member segments. No fluff, just one big analytical problem they wanted you to work through end to end.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

You suspect US members upload videos at a different rate than non-US members. How would you design an analysis to test this fairly, including what metrics you'd use, how you'd handle confounders like membership size and tenure, and how you'd actually run the numbers?

Product Analytics & MetricsA/B Testing & ExperimentationData Modeling
Author's notes

This one had a lot of layers and I underestimated how long it would take to even get to the SQL part.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the business question and defining the target metric (e.g., upload rate per member per week). Then design an observational analysis that controls for confounders like membership size and tenure, using regression or matching to isolate the US vs. non-US effect. Finally, validate with robustness checks and consider an experiment if feasible.

Pro tip: Always check for data quality issues like bot activity or duplicate accounts before diving into analysis; these can skew upload rates and lead to false conclusions.

1. Define the metric and hypothesis

Clarify what 'upload rate' means (e.g., videos uploaded per member per week) and state the null and alternative hypotheses. Ensure the metric is comparable across regions.

2. Identify and address confounders

List potential confounders such as membership size (e.g., connections), tenure, activity level, and device type. Plan to control for them using regression, stratification, or matching.

3. Choose the analysis method

Select an appropriate statistical method (e.g., multiple linear regression, Poisson regression for count data, or propensity score matching) to estimate the effect of US vs. non-US while adjusting for confounders.

4. Run the numbers and interpret

Execute the analysis, check assumptions, and interpret the coefficient for US membership. Assess statistical significance and effect size, and consider practical significance.

5. Validate and communicate

Perform robustness checks (e.g., sensitivity analysis, alternative model specifications) and communicate findings with clear caveats about causality.

Key Points to Mention

  • Define upload rate clearly (e.g., videos per member per week) and ensure it's normalized.
  • Control for confounders like membership size (connections), tenure, and activity level.
  • Use regression models (e.g., Poisson or negative binomial for count data) or matching techniques.
  • Check for interactions (e.g., tenure and region) and nonlinearity.
  • Consider data quality issues (bots, duplicate accounts) and seasonality.
  • Discuss limitations of observational analysis and suggest an A/B test if possible.

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.