Communication5 min read

Ask clarifying questions

Jumping straight to code on an ambiguous prompt is a trap. Strong candidates scope the problem first.

Interview prompts are deliberately under-specified. "Design a URL shortener" or "find the duplicates" leaves out constraints on purpose — to see whether you assume or you ask. Asking the right questions is itself a scored behaviour.

Questions that signal seniority

A few sharp questions reframe you from coder to engineer.

Inputs: size, type, range, can they be empty or negative, are they sorted?
Scale (system design): requests per second, read/write ratio, data volume, latency target.
Edge cases: what should happen on invalid input, ties, or an empty result?
Priorities: are we optimising for time, space, readability, or correctness first?

Do not over-ask

Two to four targeted questions show thoroughness. Ten questions show you are stalling. Ask what genuinely changes your approach, then state your assumptions out loud ("I will assume IDs fit in 64 bits — flag me if not") and start.

Key takeaways

Treat every prompt as deliberately under-specified — scope before you solve.
Ask about inputs, scale, edge cases, and what to optimise for.
Two to four sharp questions, then state assumptions and begin.

Put it into practice

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