Tell me about a time someone pushed back hard on a technical approach you proposed. How did you respond, and how was it ultimately resolved?
The interviewer is looking for: how you handle having your ideas challenged, whether you can separate your ego from your work, your ability to evaluate criticism objectively, and how you reach resolution when there is strong disagreement.
Note: This is about receiving pushback on your idea, not about pushing back on someone else's approach.
How to approach it
- Hint 1
Choose a situation where the pushback was substantive and the other person had legitimate concerns -- not a case where someone was being unreasonable. The strongest examples involve a time when the criticism made you genuinely reconsider your approach.
- Hint 2
Describe your internal reaction honestly, then walk through how you responded externally. Did you ask clarifying questions? Request a design review? Build a prototype to test both approaches? Show that you engaged with the criticism rather than getting defensive.
- Hint 3
Share the resolution: did you modify your approach, switch to theirs, or find a third option? Reflect on what you learned about handling criticism of your work. The best answers show growth in how the candidate receives technical feedback.
Ready to answer it out loud?
Record your answer in 1:30 and Preptile scores it 1–10 with specifics — what landed, what you skipped, and what to say next time.
Practising needs an invite code. Join the waitlist and we’ll send you one.