How do you handle non-functional requirements in a product backlog?
This tests your ability to integrate quality attributes (NFRs) into the agile workflow. Make them visible in the backlog, add them to the Definition of Done, and break them into testable sprint tasks. Red flag: treating NFRs as separate, non-sprint work.
Blocker vs. Impediment: Definitions and Escalation
Tests your grasp of Scrum terms and escalation. A blocker stops work; an impediment slows it. A good answer defines both, then outlines an escalation path for impediments: visualize, quantify impact, and engage leadership.
How does an EM's role change in an agile model?
This tests your grasp of servant leadership. A great answer explains the shift from directing work to enabling teams by building capabilities, removing impediments, and managing boundaries.
How Management's Role Evolves When Scaling Agile
This tests your grasp of servant leadership vs. command-and-control. A good answer contrasts traditional managers (directing work) with enabling managers (removing impediments, teaching problem-solving) as seen in LeSS.
How would you create a probabilistic forecast for a backlog?
This tests your grasp of probabilistic forecasting over single-date estimates. A good answer explains using historical throughput to run a Monte Carlo simulation, then presenting a range of dates with confidence levels (e.g., 50%, 85%).
When does a task's Cycle Time begin and end?
This tests your practical grasp of process metrics. Define Cycle Time as starting when active work begins ('In Progress') and ending when 'Done' (shippable). Contrast it with Lead Time (request to delivery). A red flag is confusing the two or being too vague.
Explain Little's Law and its application in Kanban
Tests your grasp of flow metrics. A good answer defines the formula (Lead Time = WIP / Throughput), explains the trade-offs, and gives a practical example. A red flag is ignoring the prerequisite of a stable system, which makes the formula's output…
How do you use a spike to de-risk a story?
This tests your ability to use agile spikes for targeted de-risking, not just vague research. A strong answer defines the specific question the spike will answer, proposes a strict time-box, and lists concrete deliverables like a decision or a better estimate.
How do you facilitate a heated technical disagreement between two seniors?
Tests your ability to de-escalate conflict and guide a team to a data-driven decision. Acknowledge the issue, separate the people from the problem, use a structured process, and focus on shared goals. A red flag is immediately picking a side or escalating.
How to apply Conway's Law to design team structures?
Tests if you can use Conway's Law proactively (the 'Inverse Conway Maneuver'). Outline: define the target architecture, then align small, autonomous teams to its components. A red flag is seeing the law only as a constraint, not a tool for intentional design.
Why is tracking team velocity as a KPI dysfunctional?
Tests if you know velocity is for planning, not performance. Explain it's easily gamed and measures output, not outcome. Propose metrics focused on value delivery and process improvement like cycle time.
Decomposing a monolith for scaled agile teams
Tests your grasp of domain-driven design and data consistency in a microservice migration. A good answer identifies bounded contexts, defines versioned APIs, and uses event-based patterns for data.
Estimating large, cross-team initiatives in PI Planning
Tests your ability to facilitate collaborative estimation. Break the initiative into features for teams to estimate, then use an ART board to map dependencies. A red flag is providing a single, top-down number without team input.
Technical Prerequisites for LeSS Feature Teams
This tests your grasp of the engineering practices that enable agile scaling. A great answer covers continuous integration for shared ownership, robust test automation, and a loosely coupled architecture. A red flag is focusing only on Scrum ceremonies.
Investigating Variable Sprint Velocity
This tests your ability to diagnose issues by connecting process metrics to technical health. A great answer hypothesizes technical causes (e.g., tech debt, flaky tests), identifies specific data for validation (e.g., cycle time, build logs), and avoids…
Design an Upstream Kanban for Product Ideas
Tests managing work before commitment. A good answer defines the commitment point, visualizes options on a board, and applies triage discipline to refine ideas. A red flag is describing a simple 'to-do' list without a structured filtering and decision process.
CFD shows a widening 'Testing' band. What does it mean?
This tests your ability to interpret process metrics and propose data-driven solutions. First, define the bottleneck: work enters testing faster than it leaves. Then, propose experiments to diagnose the cause before suggesting solutions.
What initial columns would you set up on a Kanban board?
Tests your grasp of Kanban's core goal: visualizing workflow. Start with a simple board (To Do, In Progress, Done), explaining how each column represents a work state. A red flag is creating an overly complex board without justifying the need for each stage.
Describe your framework for managing tech debt in product discovery.
Tests your strategic view of tech debt. A good answer frames debt as a tool, describes a framework for categorizing and tracking it, and explains how to tie repayment to product milestones. A red flag is viewing all debt as bad or lacking a concrete.
Differentiating an MVP from a throwaway prototype
Tests your grasp of strategic technical investment. Differentiate by intent: an MVP is the first version, a prototype is disposable. A great answer introduces Minimum Viable Architecture (MVA) to support future needs.