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Uber·Software Engineer·Onsite - Behavioral / Leadership·Senior

Senior
Apr 2026

Summary

Interviewed for a program manager role at Uber. One behavioral question that sounds easy until you're actually sitting there trying to remember a real example that doesn't make you look bad.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Tell me about a time a stakeholder gave you a suggestion that didn't really add value. How did you handle it and what did you do to keep the project moving?

Stakeholder ManagementConflict ResolutionCross-functional Alignment
Author's notes

I fumbled the opening on this one.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Use a STAR-based story where you respectfully pushed back on the stakeholder's suggestion by grounding your response in data, user impact, and project goals. Show that you kept the relationship positive and the project on track by proposing an alternative or a lightweight validation step. Emphasize collaboration and shared success, not being right.

Pro tip: Frame your pushback as 'help me understand how this ties to our success metrics' rather than 'this won't work'—it invites the stakeholder into problem-solving and preserves the relationship. At Uber, showing you optimize for rider/driver experience and business impact will resonate strongly.

1. Set the context

Briefly describe the project, your role, and the stakeholder's suggestion so the interviewer understands the stakes and why the suggestion seemed low-value.

2. Acknowledge and seek to understand

Explain how you listened actively and asked clarifying questions to uncover the stakeholder's underlying concern or goal, showing respect for their perspective.

3. Evaluate with data and impact

Describe how you assessed the suggestion against project goals, user impact, and technical feasibility—using data, metrics, or quick experiments to make an objective case.

4. Communicate and align

Explain how you presented your findings diplomatically, proposed an alternative or a compromise, and got buy-in from the stakeholder and team.

5. Keep moving and reflect

Show how you maintained momentum, delivered the project, and what you learned about stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Points to Mention

  • Active listening and empathy for the stakeholder's perspective
  • Using data, metrics, or user research to evaluate the suggestion objectively
  • Proposing an alternative or a low-cost experiment to test the idea
  • Maintaining a positive relationship and avoiding defensiveness
  • Aligning with broader business goals and success metrics
  • Keeping the project on schedule and delivering impact

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