Why Asked
Tests learning ability, resourcefulness, and willingness to ask for help. Tech roles constantly require learning new things.
Sample Answer
First, I'd spend 30-60 minutes understanding the problem fully — reading docs, looking at similar code in the codebase, and checking if anyone on the team has done something similar. Then I'd build the smallest possible version that works end-to-end, even if hacky, just to validate my approach. After that, I'd refine. If I'm stuck for more than an hour or two, I'd ask a teammate — not for the answer, but for the right direction. I've done this approach during my internship when I had to learn GraphQL in a week, and it works because it balances independence with not wasting time.