Choose a disagreement where you had a clear, data-backed alternative but the stakes were manageable, and frame it as a collaborative problem-solving moment rather than a conflict. Walk through how you sought to understand your manager's reasoning, presented your case with evidence, and either influenced the decision or committed fully once a call was made. End by highlighting the specific lesson you now apply to future pushback.
Pro tip: Emphasize that you disagreed with the idea, not the person, and show you knew when to escalate versus when to let it go—Uber values engineers who can debate rigorously but still execute decisively once a decision is made.
Briefly describe the project, your role, and why the decision mattered—keep it tight so the interviewer understands the disagreement without getting lost in details.
State what you and your manager each believed and the evidence or trade-offs behind your position, showing you understood their perspective before advocating for yours.
Explain the channel and timing you chose (e.g., a private 1:1, a written doc with data) and how you kept the conversation respectful and focused on the problem.
Detail the trade-offs you weighed (e.g., speed vs. quality, technical debt, team morale) and how the decision was ultimately reached—whether you persuaded them, compromised, or deferred.
Reflect on what you learned about constructive pushback and give a concrete example of how you've used that lesson since.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.