Analytical Background Questions
The candidate's approach to analytical, evidence-based problem solving: how they take an ambiguous question, break it into testable pieces, gather and examine relevant information or data, choose appropriate methods to reach a conclusion, and turn that conclusion into a concrete recommendation or decision. This can show up as quantitative work (statistics, data analysis, experimentation, dashboards) or as qualitative and domain-specific analysis (reviewing logs or incidents, case or contract research, market or process analysis, root-cause investigation). Draw on academic projects, internships, or professional work. Focus on the end-to-end path: how the question or hypothesis was framed, what evidence was examined and with what tools or methods, what trade-offs were considered, and how the resulting insight changed a real decision or outcome.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
import numpy as np
def bootstrap_conv_diff(control, treatment, n_resamples=10000, seed=None):
"""
Returns 95% bootstrap CI for (treatment_rate - control_rate).
control, treatment: 1D arrays of 0/1 (or booleans).
n_resamples: number of bootstrap draws (default 10000).
seed: int or None for reproducibility.
"""
rng = np.random.default_rng(seed)
control = np.asarray(control)
treatment = np.asarray(treatment)
n_c, n_t = len(control), len(treatment)
if n_c == 0 or n_t == 0:
raise ValueError("Both groups must be non-empty.")
diffs = np.empty(n_resamples)
for i in range(n_resamples):
sample_c = rng.choice(control, size=n_c, replace=True)
sample_t = rng.choice(treatment, size=n_t, replace=True)
diffs[i] = sample_t.mean() - sample_c.mean()
lower, upper = np.percentile(diffs, [2.5, 97.5])
return lower, upperSample Answer
WITH windowed AS (
-- restrict to 7-day period and relevant events
SELECT *
FROM events
WHERE event_name IN ('view','add_to_cart','checkout','purchase')
AND occurred_at >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '7 day'
),
step_first AS (
-- first time each step happened per session
SELECT
session_id,
user_id,
event_name,
MIN(occurred_at) AS first_at
FROM windowed
GROUP BY session_id, user_id, event_name
),
pivot_steps AS (
-- pivot so each session has timestamps (or NULL) per funnel step
SELECT
session_id,
user_id,
MAX(CASE WHEN event_name='view' THEN first_at END) AS view_at,
MAX(CASE WHEN event_name='add_to_cart' THEN first_at END) AS add_to_cart_at,
MAX(CASE WHEN event_name='checkout' THEN first_at END) AS checkout_at,
MAX(CASE WHEN event_name='purchase' THEN first_at END) AS purchase_at
FROM step_first
GROUP BY session_id, user_id
),
sessions_with_order AS (
-- ensure steps are in chronological order within session
SELECT *,
-- only count a step if it happened after the previous step (or view exists)
CASE WHEN view_at IS NOT NULL THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS did_view,
CASE WHEN add_to_cart_at IS NOT NULL AND add_to_cart_at >= view_at THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS did_add_to_cart,
CASE WHEN checkout_at IS NOT NULL AND checkout_at >= add_to_cart_at AND add_to_cart_at IS NOT NULL THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS did_checkout,
CASE WHEN purchase_at IS NOT NULL AND purchase_at >= checkout_at AND checkout_at IS NOT NULL THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS did_purchase
FROM pivot_steps
),
agg AS (
SELECT
SUM(did_view) AS sessions_view,
SUM(did_add_to_cart) AS sessions_add_to_cart,
SUM(did_checkout) AS sessions_checkout,
SUM(did_purchase) AS sessions_purchase
FROM sessions_with_order
),
rates AS (
SELECT
'view' AS step, sessions_view AS count,
1.0 AS conversion_from_prev,
1.0 AS conversion_from_start
FROM agg
UNION ALL
SELECT
'add_to_cart', sessions_add_to_cart,
CASE WHEN sessions_view=0 THEN 0 ELSE sessions_add_to_cart::float/sessions_view END,
CASE WHEN sessions_view=0 THEN 0 ELSE sessions_add_to_cart::float/sessions_view END
FROM agg
UNION ALL
SELECT
'checkout', sessions_checkout,
CASE WHEN sessions_add_to_cart=0 THEN 0 ELSE sessions_checkout::float/sessions_add_to_cart END,
CASE WHEN sessions_view=0 THEN 0 ELSE sessions_checkout::float/sessions_view END
FROM agg
UNION ALL
SELECT
'purchase', sessions_purchase,
CASE WHEN sessions_checkout=0 THEN 0 ELSE sessions_purchase::float/sessions_checkout END,
CASE WHEN sessions_view=0 THEN 0 ELSE sessions_purchase::float/sessions_view END
FROM agg
)
SELECT
step,
count,
ROUND(conversion_from_prev::numeric,4) AS conversion_from_prev,
ROUND(conversion_from_start::numeric,4) AS conversion_from_start
FROM rates
ORDER BY CASE step WHEN 'view' THEN 1 WHEN 'add_to_cart' THEN 2 WHEN 'checkout' THEN 3 WHEN 'purchase' THEN 4 END;Sample Answer
Sample Answer
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