Making a Decision with Missing Data

# Make a Decision with Missing Data Describe a consequential decision you had to make before all desired data was available. Explain the deadline and uncertainty, the alternatives you considered, the evidence you did have, how you bounded risk, and what happened. Be explicit about what would have caused you to reverse the decision. ### Constraints & Assumptions - Use one specific situation and distinguish facts known at the time from later evidence. - Describe your own contribution rather than only the team's actions. - Quantify the decision and result where possible. - Do not claim certainty that the available evidence did not support. ### Clarifying Questions to Ask - Should the example emphasize technical, product, or operational judgment? - What level of business context is useful? - Is a decision that was later revised acceptable? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A real deadline, missing evidence, and material consequences - Credible alternatives and a reasoned decision rule - Reversible steps, guardrails, and stakeholder communication - Outcome metrics, later learning, and a concrete improvement ### Follow-up Questions 1. Which missing fact would most likely have changed your choice? 2. How did you prevent urgency from becoming an excuse for weak analysis? 3. What would you do differently with the same deadline today? ```hint Reconstruct the decision at the time Show what was known, what was unknown, and how the chosen guardrails made a reasonable decision possible before hindsight was available. ```