Field note · Recovery and measurement
How to choose a success measure in a product design interview
At 10:02, Alex sees receipts for five sheets in an eight-sheet order. At 10:03, the cutting press will run every ticket in its queue. Each sheet needs one cut. What should Alex be able to do about the other three?
Try the complete free case first to make your own choice before you see the worked example.
Explain your choice in one minute
Say what your button would do, which record you’d check before sending another sheet, and what you’d count at 10:03. When you open the second packet, explain which part of your design you’d keep or change and why.
Open the worked answer and check your measure
What I’d say if the press has all eight sheets
“I’d give Alex a ‘Check press status’ button. The register shows that the three sheets without receipts already have tickets. I’d restore their ticket numbers on screen. At 10:03 I’d count how many of the eight requested sheets have exactly one ticket.”
In the other packet, the register shows that the press rejected those three requests. I’d keep the status check and offer “Queue 3 missing sheets” once Alex sees which sheets need tickets. The register has settled and nobody else can send tickets during this exercise.
Would your measure catch a duplicate cut?
Suppose Alex resends the three sheets that already have tickets. Each new send creates another ticket. All eight rows on the desk can now show receipts. What score would you report for the order?
5/8 requested sheets have exactly one ticket. The five untouched sheets each have one. The three Alex resent each have two, giving the cutter eleven tickets in all. If you want to judge just the recovery button, follow the three initially unconfirmed sheets. After the resend, 0/3 have exactly one ticket.