How many windows are there in Seattle?

What You Need to Know
Entry Level Example
Experienced Example

Jeff Bezos once asked a candidate this question and hired her on the spot after her answer. It is designed to test your problem-solving skills and how you would approach answering a seemingly unanswerable question. The way the candidate approached it in the interview with Jeff Bezos was to suggest she would determine the population of Seattle and then multiply the number of windows a single person has in their life from the apartment or residence, their work, and their automobile. So, as you can see, she didn't solve the riddle but suggested how she would approach the problem. Any time such a question is posed in an interview, one that seems unanswerable, respond with your approach to solving such a problem.

"Well, I would have to look up the population of Seattle, but I would determine that by taking the population of Seattle and then multiply the number of windows a single person has in their life from the apartment or residence, their work, and their automobile. Of course, there is no way to know, and the size of every person's home is different, but one could create an average number of windows by taking the middle of a studio apartment to a five-bedroom home."

"I would first add up the number of windows in a person's life. I live in a three-bedroom house, which is a good average between a six-bedroom house and a studio apartment. In my house, I have 15 windows. I have six windows in my car and one in my office at work. Each window is double-paned with two sashes, except for the car, which would mean there are 38 panes of glass, not including mirrors. So I would then perhaps round up to 40 and multiply the population of Seattle, which at last count was 762,500, by 40, which would equate to roughly thirty-million-five-hundred-thousand panes of glass. But that's just a guess. What would your guess be?"

Next Question

How to Answer: How many windows are there in Seattle?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Amazon job interview.

53. How many windows are there in Seattle?

What You Need to Know

Jeff Bezos once asked a candidate this question and hired her on the spot after her answer. It is designed to test your problem-solving skills and how you would approach answering a seemingly unanswerable question. The way the candidate approached it in the interview with Jeff Bezos was to suggest she would determine the population of Seattle and then multiply the number of windows a single person has in their life from the apartment or residence, their work, and their automobile. So, as you can see, she didn't solve the riddle but suggested how she would approach the problem. Any time such a question is posed in an interview, one that seems unanswerable, respond with your approach to solving such a problem.

Written by Kevin Downey on January 25th, 2023

Entry Level Example

"Well, I would have to look up the population of Seattle, but I would determine that by taking the population of Seattle and then multiply the number of windows a single person has in their life from the apartment or residence, their work, and their automobile. Of course, there is no way to know, and the size of every person's home is different, but one could create an average number of windows by taking the middle of a studio apartment to a five-bedroom home."

Written by Kevin Downey on January 25th, 2023

Experienced Example

"I would first add up the number of windows in a person's life. I live in a three-bedroom house, which is a good average between a six-bedroom house and a studio apartment. In my house, I have 15 windows. I have six windows in my car and one in my office at work. Each window is double-paned with two sashes, except for the car, which would mean there are 38 panes of glass, not including mirrors. So I would then perhaps round up to 40 and multiply the population of Seattle, which at last count was 762,500, by 40, which would equate to roughly thirty-million-five-hundred-thousand panes of glass. But that's just a guess. What would your guess be?"

Written by Kevin Downey on January 25th, 2023

Next Question