10 Meta "Move Fast" Interview Questions + What Great Looks Like
Master Meta's core value with questions that test speed, decisiveness, and shipping under ambiguity — plus the formula interviewers use to evaluate you.
Practice Questions
Click any question to see how Meta tests for "Velocity of Learning" vs. just "reckless speed."
01Imagine you've been assigned a project but your manager hasn't given you direction. What steps would you take to figure out what to do next? Which stakeholders might you involve? How would you know you're moving in the right direction?
Intermediate
Imagine you've been assigned a project but your manager hasn't given you direction. What steps would you take to figure out what to do next? Which stakeholders might you involve? How would you know you're moving in the right direction?
Can you start without a roadmap? Meta wants people who make progress despite ambiguity — who build something to make the discussion concrete rather than waiting for clarity.
02You may get pulled in multiple directions by projects with different timelines. What is your approach for working in an environment where priorities are constantly shifting? How do frequent priority changes affect the quality of your work? How do they affect how much you enjoy your work?
Intermediate
You may get pulled in multiple directions by projects with different timelines. What is your approach for working in an environment where priorities are constantly shifting? How do frequent priority changes affect the quality of your work? How do they affect how much you enjoy your work?
How do you protect velocity when everything is shifting? Meta needs people who stay productive in chaos, not people who need stable priorities to function.
03Tell me about a time you didn't have enough information to complete a project. How did you move forward despite the ambiguity? Where did you find the missing details? What process could you put in place to prevent this from happening again?
Intermediate
Tell me about a time you didn't have enough information to complete a project. How did you move forward despite the ambiguity? Where did you find the missing details? What process could you put in place to prevent this from happening again?
How do you navigate ambiguity? Google operates without perfect information. Show that uncertainty doesn't paralyze you — you find ways to make progress.
04Tell me about a time you committed to more work than you could realistically handle. What led you to overcommit? How did you reprioritize your time? What steps did you take to ensure critical work wasn't neglected? How did you communicate changes to those impacted?
Intermediate
Tell me about a time you committed to more work than you could realistically handle. What led you to overcommit? How did you reprioritize your time? What steps did you take to ensure critical work wasn't neglected? How did you communicate changes to those impacted?
Do you know when to drop things? Overcommitment is common — Meta wants to see you can triage ruthlessly and communicate tradeoffs clearly, not heroically burn out.
05Tell me about a time a project was stalled because an engineer or stakeholder from another team wasn't delivering. What did you do to unblock it?
Intermediate
Tell me about a time a project was stalled because an engineer or stakeholder from another team wasn't delivering. What did you do to unblock it?
Can you unblock yourself without burning bridges? Speed matters, but so does maintaining relationships. Show you can push hard AND keep partners on your side.
06You're working on several projects at the same time, with different levels of complexity across organizations. How do you decide what to prioritize?
Intermediate
You're working on several projects at the same time, with different levels of complexity across organizations. How do you decide what to prioritize?
How do you juggle multiple projects? Meta operates in parallel. They want people who can context-switch effectively and keep multiple workstreams moving forward.
07Tell me about a time you anticipated changes and reprioritized work when a project was off course or resources shifted (for example, key engineering stakeholders went on leave or left the team).
Intermediate
Tell me about a time you anticipated changes and reprioritized work when a project was off course or resources shifted (for example, key engineering stakeholders went on leave or left the team).
How do you handle mid-flight changes? Plans never survive contact with reality. Show you can re-scope quickly, reset expectations, and keep shipping.
08There's a report of a major incident involving a product your team owns. A decision is urgent, but the key decision-makers are unavailable. How do you decide what to do? Do you wait to consider every aspect and for stakeholders to return, or do you make rapid decisions to reduce collateral damage?
Intermediate
There's a report of a major incident involving a product your team owns. A decision is urgent, but the key decision-makers are unavailable. How do you decide what to do? Do you wait to consider every aspect and for stakeholders to return, or do you make rapid decisions to reduce collateral damage?
Will you make the call when it matters? Meta tests decisiveness under pressure. Can you act fast when the stakes are high and nobody's available to approve?
09Because of maintenance or downtime you scheduled, you've significantly impacted another application or service (for example, corrupted hard drives, datasets, or pipelines for another group). What do you do next?
Intermediate
Because of maintenance or downtime you scheduled, you've significantly impacted another application or service (for example, corrupted hard drives, datasets, or pipelines for another group). What do you do next?
How do you respond when you caused the problem? Speed creates collateral damage. Meta wants people who own their messes, respond fast, and communicate proactively.
10Tell me about a time you created a creative solution to solve a problem and reach a goal. How did you first notice the problem and approach finding a solution? What ideas did you rule out along the way, and why?
Intermediate
Tell me about a time you created a creative solution to solve a problem and reach a goal. How did you first notice the problem and approach finding a solution? What ideas did you rule out along the way, and why?
Can you ship under constraints? Creativity under pressure is core to Move Fast. Show you can find scrappy solutions instead of asking for more time or resources.
The 4-Step Move Fast Formula
Structure your story to hit the signals interviewers are trained to listen for.
Establish the "Cost of Delay"
Establish the "Cost of Delay"
Meta hates missed windows. Start by quantifying why waiting was not an option. "If we waited for the perfect spec, we would miss the Q4 shipping window." This justifies the risk you are about to take.
The Hacker Way (Prototype > Policy)
The Hacker Way (Prototype > Policy)
Meta culture believes "Code wins arguments." Describe how you stopped debating and started building. "Instead of another meeting, I built a scrappy prototype in 2 days to test the hypothesis."
Own the Tradeoffs
Own the Tradeoffs
Speed creates debt. Be explicit about what you cut. "I hard-coded the config to ship by Friday, knowing we would need to refactor it next sprint." This shows maturity, not just haste.
Close with Data
Close with Data
You moved fast to get data. What did the data say? "Because we shipped early, we learned users hated the button placement, and we fixed it before the full rollout."
The Difference is Detail
Compare a generic answer vs. one that gets hired.
The "Consensus Seeker"
Culture Mismatch
"The project had unclear requirements, so I scheduled meetings with all stakeholders to align on a comprehensive spec. After three weeks of discussions, we had full buy-in and a detailed plan. Then we started building."
- Slow Start: "Three weeks of discussions" — death at Meta.
- Over-Scoped: "Comprehensive spec" — suggests waterfall thinking.
- Risk Averse: Waiting for "Full buy-in" before writing code.
The "Hacker" Answer
Strong Hire Signal
"Requirements were fuzzy and meetings were stalling. I built a rough prototype in 4 days to make the discussion concrete. I put it behind a Gatekeeper (feature flag) rollout to 5% of users. The logging data proved our scaling concerns were invalid, resolving the debate in a week instead of a month."
- Bias to Action: "Built a rough prototype" to break the deadlock.
- Meta Tools: Uses "Gatekeeper" concepts (gradual rollout) to manage risk.
- Data Wins: "Data proved concerns invalid" — settled opinion with fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Move Fast" actually mean at Meta?
It means "Move Fast with Stable Infrastructure." It is about the velocity of *learning*. Meta wants people who ship small, learn quickly, and iterate — rather than over-planning. It is the opposite of "measure twice, cut once." It is "cut, measure, adjust, cut again."
How is Move Fast different from "Bias for Action"?
Amazon's "Bias for Action" rewards making high-velocity decisions (often without data). Meta's "Move Fast" rewards shipping code (to GET data). Amazon wants you to decide; Meta wants you to build.
Can I fail a Meta interview for being "too careful"?
Yes. If your stories consistently show extensive planning, lengthy approval processes, or waiting for perfect requirements, you will signal a culture mismatch. Meta explicitly screens out candidates who prioritize process over progress.
What if my Move Fast story had bugs or issues?
That is often better than a "flawless" story. Meta expects fast shipping to create some issues — what matters is how you detected them (SEV review) and fixed them. "We shipped fast, broke X, rolled back in 10 minutes, and fixed it" is a winning story.
How do I show Move Fast if I work in a slow-moving company?
Focus on YOUR velocity within constraints. Did you prototype something locally before getting official approval? Did you build a tool to automate a manual process? Move Fast is about your personal agency, not your company's Jira settings.
Next Steps
Ready to put this into practice?