Question 6Discovery and scoping
The customer's finance lead says your report “looks off” but can't point to a number. What do you do?
Vague complaints are normal. They test whether you stay calm and turn it into something checkable.
“Run discovery and translate ambiguous business problems into clear requirements, scope, and acceptance criteria”Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, Applied AI · Juniper Square
The answerFour steps
- 1
Ask them to walk you through how they read the report and what they expected
Say it like this
“I'd book 30 minutes with her and ask her to read the report out loud and say what she expected to see.”
Why it scores
Turns a vague feeling into one specific number. Sitting together beats an email thread.
- 2
Compare one number end to end against their own source
Say it like this
“Then I take that one number and trace it back, row by row, against her own export from the ERP.”
Why it scores
One number end to end against their own source. Fast and concrete.
- 3
Write down each metric's definition and get them to agree it
Say it like this
“I write each metric's definition into the report itself, and she signs off on them.”
Why it scores
Definitions agreed in writing stop the same dispute next quarter.
- 4
Fix it, then add a check that would have caught it
Say it like this
“Then I fix the logic and add a nightly check that compares our total to the ERP and flags any gap over 1%.”
Why it scores
Adds a check so the next gap is caught by you, not by finance.
StrongAll together
About a minute, out loud. The marked parts are the four steps; hover one to find it above.
I'd book 30 minutes with her and ask her to read the report out loud and say what she expected to see.1 Often it narrows to something like “Q3 revenue feels high.” Then I take that one number and trace it back, row by row, against her own export from the ERP.2 Say we're 4% higher. Usually it's a definition: we count an order when it's placed, finance counts it when it's invoiced. I write each metric's definition into the report itself, and she signs off on them.3 Then I fix the logic and add a nightly check that compares our total to the ERP and flags any gap over 1%.4
WeakThe answer that fails
Sounds fine. Common. Scores low.
“I'd double-check the queries and the pipeline for bugs, and if everything looks correct, I'd explain to her how the numbers are calculated so she can trust the report.”
Interviewer's note
Assumes the math is the question, then defends it. Never asks what she expected to see.
PracticeTwo minutes, then they push back
Your turn
The customer's finance lead says your report “looks off” but can't point to a number. What do you do?
Answer like you're in the room: about two minutes, no notes. Say it out loud, even alone. It feels different from thinking it. Then check your answer against what interviewers score.