Engineering Manager Mock Interview (with Square Director of Engineering): Time You Made a Mistake

Summary

In this Exponent Engineering Manager Mock Interview, host Kevin Way interviews Rahul, a Director of Engineering at Square. Rahul shares his career journey, from his start at Oracle to leading an engineering team at Square. The conversation focuses on a pivotal leadership question: recounting a mistake. Rahul discusses his past defensive attitude towards suggestions and the transformational impact of adopting a 'yes, and' approach from improv theater. He emphasizes the importance of relationship building and communication in leadership roles and offers insights into giving and receiving feedback constructively.

Takeaways

• 😀 Rahul is a Director of Engineering at Square, leading a team of engineering managers and engineers working on point of sales.
• 🏢 Rahul started at Square in 2016 as an individual contributor and gradually stepped into the engineering manager role as the team grew.
• 🌱 Prior to Square, Rahul was a CTO at a startup in San Francisco, growing the product engineering org to 15-20 people.
• 📚 Rahul began his career at Oracle, working on databases, and later worked at an e-commerce startup in Palo Alto.
• 🎓 Rahul has a Masters in Computer Science from Stanford, having moved to the US as a grad student.
• 💡 The interview focuses on a leadership question about a time when Rahul made a mistake, highlighting the importance of relationship building and communication.
• 🚫 Rahul admits to having a defensive attitude towards suggestions, which he later realized was a mistake that hindered his growth and relationships.
• 🔄 Rahul learned to adopt a 'yes, and' philosophy from improv, which transformed his approach to communication and relationships, instead of starting with 'no'.
• 🤝 Rahul emphasizes the importance of being a good listener and ensuring that others feel heard in discussions, rather than immediately dismissing ideas.
• 📈 Rahul advises that showing a growth mentality is crucial in interviews for EM or Director roles, demonstrating self-awareness and the ability to improve.
• 📚 Rahul recommends having a framework-based thinking and providing concrete examples from past experiences to impress interviewers.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the mock interview in the video?

The purpose of the mock interview is to practice and demonstrate how to answer leadership questions that are typically asked in engineering manager or product manager interviews.

Who is the guest in the mock interview and what is his current role?

The guest in the mock interview is Rahul, who is currently the Director of Engineering at Square.

How long has Rahul been at Square and what roles has he held there?

Rahul has been at Square for about six years. He started as an individual contributor and eventually stepped into the engineering manager role, leading the entire engineering organization.

What was Rahul's role before joining Square?

Prior to Square, Rahul was a CTO at a startup in San Francisco, where he grew the product engineering organization for about four years.

What is the leadership question asked in the mock interview?

The leadership question asked in the mock interview is 'Tell me about a time when you made a mistake.'

What mistake did Rahul admit to making in his career?

Rahul admitted to having a defensive attitude towards suggestions and not giving enough priority to relationship building and communication.

What feedback did Rahul receive from his manager that led to a change in his approach?

Rahul received feedback from his manager about his negative tone in discussions and the need to re-evaluate his approach to communication.

What technique did Rahul adopt to improve his communication and relationships?

Rahul adopted the 'Yes, and...' technique from improvisation to improve his communication, which involves building on others' ideas rather than immediately rejecting them.

How did Rahul handle the realization that he needed to change his approach?

Rahul took the feedback to heart, introspected, and quickly made a change in his approach to communication, which had a positive impact on his relationships and career.

What advice does Rahul give for handling feedback and self-improvement?

Rahul advises taking feedback from trusted sources seriously, self-introspecting, and making quick changes to address the issues raised.

What tips does Rahul offer for those interviewing for an engineering manager or director of engineering role?

Rahul suggests exhibiting a growth mentality, having a framework-based thinking, organizing thoughts succinctly, and backing up theoretical points with concrete examples from past experiences.