intro practice · system design prompt
STAR: ruthless prioritization
Write a STAR about a quarter where you had 2x the work you could deliver. Show the cut list and how you got buy-in on it.
The mechanism
Prioritization is saying no to good things, not bad ones. If you cannot list what you are NOT doing this week, you have not actually prioritized — you have just written a wish list.
Expected evidence
starStory() returns { situation, task, action, result, metric: { name, unit, before, after }, cutList (array of 3+ things you did NOT do) }. The checker enforces structure only: four distinct sections of 20+ words, action the longest, 150+ words total, before ≠ after, and the result section must name the metric and state its after value. Aim for 250-350 words — that is the interview bar, not the checker’s.Try this drill in the practice workspace →
Hints when you need them
- Saying no to a good thing is the actual skill.
- A written cut list is a forcing function for buy-in.