Behavioral/Leadership: Handling an Ambiguous "Family Tree" Prompt

Context: In a technical screen, the interviewer says only "there is a family tree" and provides no explicit requirements or examples. Demonstrate how you would drive clarity, propose a minimal starting point, and deliver incrementally under ambiguity.

Please address the following:

1. List the first five clarification questions you would ask (e.g., target use cases, required queries/updates, scale and complexity goals, data integrity constraints, evaluation criteria and deliverables).
2. Propose a minimal viable example (MVE) with 2–3 generations, including some incomplete information. Walk through the expected input and output so you and the interviewer can align.
3. Explain how you would document and orally confirm assumptions. Describe how you would timebox and proceed if the interviewer declines to add details—deliver a skeleton API and key path first, then iterate to cover edge cases.
4. Describe how you would design verifiable success criteria (e.g., unit test samples, complexity bounds, data consistency checks) and when you would seek re-alignment or course correction.
5. Share one real project or interview experience where you handled highly ambiguous requirements and successfully delivered (state the goal, actions, results, and reflections).