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Capital One·Data Scientist·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
Jul 2026

Summary

Capital One data scientist interview with a pretty involved operations/pricing case. Two parts to the same problem, and the second part is where things get interesting. Not a typical SQL or ML question at all.

Questions Asked (2)

Q1

A ride-share service runs 2,400 rides per day at $30 each. Drivers cost $700/day, work 8-hour days, and can do at most 5 rides per hour. Fixed costs are $10,000/day and you have to hire drivers for full days. How many drivers do you need to meet demand, and what is the daily profit? Show your work and confirm capacity actually covers demand.

Product Analytics & MetricsPricing & Monetization
Author's notes

This part I actually got through cleanly.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Break the problem into demand, driver capacity, and cost/profit components. Calculate the minimum number of drivers needed to meet daily demand, then compute total revenue, driver costs, and fixed costs to find daily profit. Finally, verify that the chosen number of drivers provides enough capacity to cover demand.

Pro tip: Always round up the number of drivers to the next whole number since you cannot hire fractional drivers, and explicitly state that you are doing so. Also, confirm that the total capacity exceeds demand to avoid understaffing.

1. Calculate total daily demand

Determine the total number of rides needed per day (2,400 rides) and the revenue per ride ($30) to compute total daily revenue.

2. Determine driver capacity

Calculate how many rides one driver can complete in a day: 8 hours/day * 5 rides/hour = 40 rides/day. Then compute the minimum number of drivers needed by dividing total demand by capacity per driver and rounding up.

3. Compute total costs

Calculate total driver cost by multiplying the number of drivers by $700/day. Add fixed costs of $10,000/day to get total daily costs.

4. Calculate daily profit

Subtract total daily costs from total daily revenue to find the daily profit.

5. Verify capacity covers demand

Multiply the number of drivers by the per-driver capacity (40 rides) to confirm total capacity meets or exceeds the daily demand of 2,400 rides.

Key Points to Mention

  • Total daily revenue = 2,400 rides * $30/ride = $72,000.
  • Driver capacity = 8 hours * 5 rides/hour = 40 rides/day per driver.
  • Minimum drivers needed = ceil(2,400 / 40) = 60 drivers.
  • Total driver cost = 60 * $700 = $42,000; total costs = $42,000 + $10,000 = $52,000.
  • Daily profit = $72,000 - $52,000 = $20,000.
  • Verification: 60 drivers * 40 rides/day = 2,400 rides, exactly meeting demand.

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

Q2

Now split the day into two 4-hour blocks. Non-peak has 800 rides at $30 each, peak has 1,600 rides at some price P. Driver constraints and costs are the same, drivers still hired for the full day. What price P makes daily profit exactly zero? State any assumptions if capacity becomes a binding constraint.

Pricing & MonetizationProduct Analytics & MetricsAdaptability & Ambiguity
Author's notes

This is where I fumbled a bit.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

First, calculate the total daily cost by summing fixed and variable costs from the previous scenario. Then, set up the profit equation with the new revenue structure: 800*30 + 1600*P minus total cost equals zero, and solve for P. Finally, check if the implied demand at price P exceeds capacity; if so, adjust the revenue calculation to reflect capacity constraints and re-solve.

Pro tip: In pricing problems, always verify whether the demand at the calculated price is feasible given capacity; if not, the price must be higher to ration demand, and you should state that assumption clearly.

1. Determine total daily cost

Use the given driver constraints and costs to compute the total cost per day. If not provided, assume a reasonable cost structure based on typical ride-hailing economics.

2. Set up profit equation

Write the profit as total revenue minus total cost. Total revenue is 800*30 + 1600*P. Set profit to zero and solve for P.

3. Check capacity constraints

Compare the implied total rides (2400) with the available capacity. If capacity is less than 2400, the peak demand cannot be fully met at price P, so revenue from peak rides is capped at capacity*P.

4. Re-solve with capacity constraint if binding

If capacity is binding, replace 1600 with the maximum capacity in the revenue equation and solve for P again. State that this price rations demand to match capacity.

5. State assumptions and final answer

Clearly state any assumptions made (e.g., cost structure, capacity limit) and present the final price P with a brief interpretation.

Key Points to Mention

  • Total daily cost calculation from driver constraints and costs
  • Revenue breakdown: non-peak (800 rides at $30) and peak (1600 rides at P)
  • Profit equation: Total Revenue - Total Cost = 0
  • Capacity constraint check: if total demand (2400) exceeds capacity, peak revenue is limited by capacity
  • Assumption about cost structure if not explicitly given
  • Interpretation of P as the price that balances revenue and cost, possibly rationing demand

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