Clarification and Gathering Context

Understand some specific clarifications we should ask for in our Facebook example.

Clarification

Let’s start by clarifying the question. We have to specify many different factors with this, including the time frame. Was this a one-time event or a progressive movement?

A one-time event means that friend requests were at normal rates when they suddenly dropped by 10%, whereas a progressive event means that friend requests were at normal rates a month ago, but over this month, they declined progressively.

It could’ve been 9.8% yesterday, but today it’s 10%. By determining this time frame, we can begin to dive into the nuances and rule out certain causes. If it’s a one-time event, we can consider external factors versus internal factors.

Level up your interview prep. Join Educative to access 80+ hands-on prep courses.