Describe a Time You Took a Courageous Technical Decision That Went Against Consensus
Last updated: October 30, 2025
Quick Overview
Share an example where you made a bold engineering decision that most of your peers or leadership disagreed with, and explain how you navigated that disagreement.
Intuit
October 30, 20255
6
2,866 solved
Share an example where you made a bold engineering decision that most of your peers or leadership disagreed with, and explain how you navigated that disagreement.
Tests Intuit's Courage value. They want engineers who challenge assumptions constructively. Strong answers show respectful disagreement backed by data, not recklessness.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Show willingness to disagree with consensus when you have evidence to support your position
- Demonstrate data-driven argumentation rather than opinion-based opposition
- Describe how you managed the interpersonal dynamics of disagreeing with peers or leadership
- Share the outcome, whether successful or not, with honest reflection
- Show intellectual humility and willingness to be proven wrong
Key Topics to Cover
How to Approach This
- Use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
- Be specific about YOUR actions, not just the team outcome.
- Quantify your impact whenever possible (e.g., "reduced latency by 40%").
- Prepare stories for: conflict, failure, ambiguity, leadership, and technical trade-offs.
- Show growth mindset. Explain what you learned and how you changed your approach.
Possible Follow-up Questions
- What evidence convinced you that consensus was wrong?
- How did you handle the social pressure of going against the group?
- If the decision turned out to be wrong, how would you have handled the fallout?
- How do you decide when to push back versus when to commit and go along?
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Browse Behavioral QuestionsSample Answer
Understanding the Competency Being Evaluated
The interviewer is assessing your courage in technical decision-making and your ability to constructively challenge consensus. They want to see if you can stand by your data-driven convictions whi...
Answer Structure for This Question
- Context: Briefly describe the technical challenge and the prevailing consensus.
- Decision: Explain your courageous decision and the rationale behind it, focusing on data.
- **Managem...
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