micro1's published AI interview guide says scenario-based questions are used to evaluate how candidates think, solve problems, and communicate. The trap is trying to narrate every possible consideration before making a decision.
1. State the decision before the tour of your thoughts
Start with what you would do under the stated facts. Then explain the evidence or criteria, the biggest trade-off, and what you would verify next. This gives the answer a spine.
2. Separate facts from assumptions
If the scenario omits a critical fact, do not invent it silently. State the assumption you are making, explain why it matters, and say how the decision changes if the assumption is wrong.
You can expand if the interviewer asks for depth. You do not need to front-load every edge case into the first response.
Make the decision in the first 20 seconds.
Then support it with only the strongest evidence and the most important trade-off.
Do not solve uncertainty with more words.
Use structure to make your reasoning visible, then let follow-up questions determine where more detail is useful.