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Decomposition Exercise with Customer Scenario

Forward Deployed Engineering

What it tests

Ability to break down ambiguous real-world problems into structured solutions while explaining technical reasoning to non-technical stakeholders.

Format

  1. 1Candidate receives an open-ended, ambiguous business problem (e.g., 'A hospital network's case management workflow is failing — what do you do?')
  2. 2Candidate decomposes the problem live: clarifies scope, identifies data flows, outlines technical and operational approach
  3. 3Interviewer probes with follow-up constraints mid-way (new stakeholder, changed data format, budget cut) to test adaptability
  4. 4Final 10 minutes: candidate explains their solution as if presenting to a non-technical operations lead

What to look for

  • Structured thinking under ambiguity — do they build a framework before jumping to a solution?
  • Adaptability when constraints change mid-exercise without losing coherence
  • Communication quality — can they translate a technical approach into language a business stakeholder understands?
  • Ownership mindset — do they drive the problem or wait for the interviewer to narrow it?

Adaptation guide

Replace the hospital scenario with any domain relevant to your product — logistics, finance, government ops. The problem should have multiple valid decompositions so you can evaluate judgment, not just correctness. Add a deliberate constraint flip (e.g., 'now you have no API access') halfway through to test real-time adaptation.

Full description

Format:

  1. Candidate receives an open-ended, ambiguous business problem — no single correct answer
  2. Candidate decomposes the problem live: clarifies scope, identifies data flows, outlines technical and operational approach
  3. Interviewer introduces a mid-exercise constraint change to test adaptability in real time
  4. Final 10 minutes: candidate re-explains the solution for a non-technical stakeholder

Time: 45 minutes

What to look for:

  • Structured thinking under ambiguity — do they build a framework before jumping to a solution?
  • Adaptability when constraints shift without losing coherence
  • Communication quality — can they translate a technical approach for a business audience?
  • Ownership mindset — do they drive the problem or wait to be directed?

Adaptation: Replace the scenario with any domain relevant to your product. The problem should deliberately have multiple valid decompositions so you're evaluating judgment, not memorized answers. Add a constraint flip halfway through to expose real adaptability.