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Amazon·Data Scientist·Technical Phone Screen·Senior

Senior
Apr 2026

Summary

Amazon DS interview with a meaty pricing strategy case for a B2C AI video editing product. One big open-ended question covering everything from experiment design to rollout strategy. Pretty grueling for a single prompt.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

You're a data scientist at a subscription-based AI video editing company. Product leadership wants to raise prices on the Pro plan by 10-25%. Design a full analysis and experimentation plan: should you raise prices, by how much, for which segments, and how do you roll it out without blowing up the business?

A/B Testing & ExperimentationPricing & MonetizationProduct Analytics & Metrics
Author's notes

This one sprawled in every direction.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by framing the problem around customer lifetime value (LTV) and price elasticity, then propose a phased approach: first analyze historical data and run a conjoint survey to estimate willingness-to-pay, then design a controlled A/B test with gradual rollout to measure demand elasticity, churn, and revenue impact across segments. Finally, recommend a data-driven pricing strategy with guardrail metrics and a rollback plan.

Pro tip: Emphasize the importance of measuring long-term effects (e.g., churn, brand perception) and not just short-term revenue; also, consider competitive dynamics and the risk of alienating price-sensitive segments.

1. Define Objectives and Guardrail Metrics

Clarify the goal (e.g., maximize revenue or profit) and establish guardrail metrics like churn rate, customer satisfaction, and conversion rate to ensure the price change doesn't harm the business.

2. Estimate Price Elasticity and Willingness-to-Pay

Use historical data, competitive analysis, and conjoint surveys to estimate how demand varies with price across different customer segments.

3. Design and Run a Controlled Experiment

Implement a randomized controlled trial (A/B test) with multiple price points (e.g., 10%, 15%, 25% increases) and a control group, ensuring proper randomization and sufficient sample size.

4. Analyze Results and Segment Impact

Measure the impact on key metrics (revenue, churn, LTV) overall and by segment; identify which segments are most sensitive and which price increase maximizes revenue without excessive churn.

5. Roll Out Gradually with Monitoring

Based on experiment results, recommend a phased rollout to a small percentage of users, monitor guardrail metrics, and be prepared to roll back if negative effects emerge.

Key Points to Mention

  • Price elasticity of demand and how to estimate it using historical data and experiments
  • Customer segmentation (e.g., by usage, tenure, plan type) to tailor pricing
  • A/B testing best practices: randomization, sample size, statistical power, and avoiding contamination
  • Guardrail metrics: churn rate, customer lifetime value (LTV), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and conversion rate
  • Long-term impact analysis: cohort analysis and retention curves to detect delayed churn
  • Competitive and market factors: competitor pricing, perceived value, and potential for customer backlash

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