# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** Engineering Manager
**Company:** [MakeMyTrip](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/makemytrip)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 7 - 15
**Timeline:** ~14 days
The Software Engineering Manager interview at MakeMyTrip is designed to assess a candidate's leadership capabilities, technical expertise, people management skills, and strategic thinking. It evaluates their ability to lead engineering teams, drive technical projects, foster a positive engineering culture, and contribute to the company's overall technical vision.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/makemytrip/engineering-manager-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Leadership and Vision
- Technical Acumen
- People Management
- Cultural Fit and Business Alignment

## Questions asked

- Describe your experience in managing software engineering teams. What is your leadership philosophy?
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
- Tell me about a time you had to deal with a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
- How do you prioritize technical initiatives and manage competing demands?
- Describe a challenging project you led. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?
- How do you ensure the quality and scalability of the software developed by your team?
- What is your approach to performance management and career development for your engineers?
- How do you stay updated with the latest technology trends and ensure your team is leveraging them effectively?
- Describe a time you had to make a difficult technical decision with incomplete information.
- How do you balance the need for speed with the need for quality and stability?
- What are your strategies for attracting and retaining top engineering talent?
- How do you collaborate with product managers and other stakeholders to achieve business goals?
- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
- How do you handle underperforming team members?
- What are your thoughts on agile methodologies and how do you implement them effectively?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Deeply understand MakeMyTrip's business, products, and engineering challenges.
- Review common software engineering management interview questions and practice your answers.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to illustrate your experience.
- Brush up on your technical fundamentals, especially in areas relevant to MakeMyTrip's technology stack.
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how you build and manage high-performing teams.
- Be ready to discuss your experiences with scaling teams, managing budgets, and driving technical strategy.
- Understand the company's culture and values, and be prepared to articulate how you align with them.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company and Technical Foundation","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on understanding MakeMyTrip's business model, key products (flights, hotels, holiday packages), recent news, and competitive landscape. Research their technology stack and engineering culture. Review core software engineering principles and best practices.","shortDescription":"Understand MakeMyTrip's business and tech. Review SE principles."}
- {"title":"Leadership and People Management","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive deep into leadership and people management concepts. Study topics like team building, performance management, conflict resolution, delegation, motivation, and career development. Prepare examples using the STAR method for common management scenarios.","shortDescription":"Study leadership and people management. Prepare STAR examples."}
- {"title":"Technical Strategy and System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Focus on technical strategy and system design. Understand how to scale systems, manage technical debt, and make architectural decisions. Review common system design interview questions relevant to e-commerce and travel platforms. Practice articulating technical trade-offs.","shortDescription":"Focus on technical strategy and system design. Practice system design."}
- {"title":"Behavioral and Situational Preparedness","longDescription":"Week 7: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Think about your past experiences related to handling failure, managing difficult stakeholders, driving change, and fostering innovation. Practice articulating your thought process and decision-making.","shortDescription":"Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Practice articulating decisions."}
- {"title":"Mock Interviews and Final Preparation","longDescription":"Week 8: Mock interviews with peers or mentors. Simulate the interview environment and get feedback on your responses, communication style, and overall presentation. Refine your answers and prepare insightful questions for the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Conduct mock interviews and refine answers. Prepare questions."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Gurugram","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with remote collaboration tools and methodologies.","Provide examples of successfully managing diverse and distributed teams.","Showcase understanding of MakeMyTrip's global presence and its implications for engineering management."],"interviewFocus":["Remote team management strategies","Cross-cultural communication","Building team cohesion in a distributed environment"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle underperforming team members in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to adapt your leadership style for a geographically distributed team.","What are the key challenges and benefits of managing a hybrid engineering team at MakeMyTrip's scale?"]}}
- {"location":"Bangalore","differences":{"tips":["Emphasize your track record in hiring and retaining top engineering talent.","Share examples of how you've fostered a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.","Demonstrate knowledge of the Indian tech landscape and MakeMyTrip's position within it."],"interviewFocus":["Talent acquisition and retention strategies","Building high-performing teams in a competitive market","Driving innovation and technical excellence"],"commonQuestions":["How do you foster innovation within a team located in a specific tech hub like Bangalore?","Describe your experience in scaling engineering teams in a competitive talent market.","What are the unique challenges and opportunities of managing an engineering team in India's startup ecosystem?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Introduction and Fit
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
HR screens for cultural fit, motivation, and basic qualifications.
This initial round is conducted by an HR representative to assess your overall fit with MakeMyTrip's culture and values. They will explore your career aspirations, motivation for applying, and general understanding of the role. It's an opportunity to showcase your personality and enthusiasm for joining the company.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for the role and MakeMyTrip; Clear communication; Basic understanding of management principles; Alignment with company values
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Leadership potential; Cultural fit; Initial assessment of management style
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear leadership vision; Inability to articulate management philosophy; Poor communication or interpersonal skills; Lack of empathy or understanding of team dynamics
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your career journey.
- Why are you interested in MakeMyTrip and this Engineering Manager role?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
- Describe a time you had to work with a difficult colleague. How did you handle it?
- What are your salary expectations?

## Preparation tips

- Research MakeMyTrip's mission, vision, and values.
- Prepare to talk about your career goals and why you're interested in this specific role.
- Be ready to share examples of how you've demonstrated leadership and teamwork in previous roles.
- Practice articulating your strengths and how they align with the requirements of an Engineering Manager.
- Prepare questions to ask the HR representative about the company culture, team, and the interview process.

## Round 2: Technical Deep Dive and System Design
**Type:** Technical and System Design · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical depth and ability to design scalable systems.
This round focuses on your technical expertise and system design capabilities. You'll be asked to design a system or solve complex technical problems relevant to MakeMyTrip's domain (e.g., booking systems, recommendation engines). The interviewer will assess your ability to think critically, make sound technical decisions, and communicate your thought process effectively.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong understanding of software architecture and design patterns; Ability to design scalable and reliable systems; Logical thinking and problem-solving skills; Clear communication of technical ideas
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical depth and breadth; System design capabilities; Problem-solving approach; Ability to articulate technical solutions
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of technical depth; Inability to design scalable systems; Poor problem-solving skills; Difficulty in explaining technical concepts clearly
## Questions

- Design a flight booking system for MakeMyTrip.
- How would you design a recommendation engine for hotel suggestions?
- Discuss the trade-offs between microservices and monolithic architectures in the context of a travel platform.
- How would you ensure high availability and fault tolerance for MakeMyTrip's website?
- Given a scenario of sudden traffic surge, how would you scale the booking system?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles, scalability, availability, and reliability concepts.
- Practice designing common systems like ride-sharing apps, social media feeds, or e-commerce platforms.
- Understand trade-offs in system design (e.g., consistency vs. availability).
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with various technologies and architectural patterns.
- Think about how to apply these concepts to MakeMyTrip's specific business needs.

## Round 3: People Management and Leadership Interview
**Type:** People Management and Leadership · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on people management, team leadership, and performance.
This round is with the hiring manager, who will delve deeper into your people management and leadership experience. You'll discuss how you build and motivate teams, handle performance issues, foster a positive work environment, and align team goals with business objectives. Expect behavioral questions focused on your past management experiences.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to build, lead, and mentor engineering teams; Effective strategies for performance management and feedback; Skills in conflict resolution and team building; Understanding of career development paths for engineers
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills; Team leadership and motivation; Performance management; Conflict resolution; Strategic thinking in team development
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to manage team performance effectively; Poor conflict resolution skills; Lack of strategic thinking in people management; Difficulty in motivating and developing engineers
## Questions

- Describe your approach to performance management. How do you give feedback?
- Tell me about a time you had to manage an underperforming engineer. What steps did you take?
- How do you motivate your team, especially during challenging times?
- Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict between team members.
- How do you foster career growth and development within your team?
- How do you delegate tasks effectively?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for scenarios involving team management, conflict resolution, performance reviews, and career development.
- Think about your philosophy on building high-performing teams.
- Be ready to discuss how you delegate tasks and empower your team members.
- Consider how you foster a culture of psychological safety and continuous learning.
- Prepare to talk about your experience with hiring and onboarding new team members.

## Round 4: Strategic Thinking and Business Alignment
**Type:** Strategic and Leadership · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 45 min
Evaluates strategic thinking, business acumen, and leadership alignment.
In this round, you'll meet with senior leadership to discuss your strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to align engineering with broader company goals. They will assess your understanding of the travel industry, your vision for the engineering team, and how you handle cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management. This is a high-level discussion about your potential impact on the organization.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to think strategically and align engineering efforts with business objectives; Experience in influencing stakeholders and driving change; Understanding of product roadmaps and market dynamics; Capacity to manage budgets and resources effectively
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking; Business acumen; Cross-functional collaboration; Problem-solving at a higher level; Alignment with company strategy
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic vision; Poor alignment with business goals; Inability to influence stakeholders; Resistance to change or new ideas
## Questions

- What is your vision for the engineering team at MakeMyTrip in the next 2-3 years?
- How do you balance technical debt with the need to deliver new features quickly?
- Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders outside of engineering. How did you approach it?
- How do you measure the success of your engineering team?
- What are the biggest challenges facing the travel tech industry today, and how can MakeMyTrip address them?

## Preparation tips

- Understand MakeMyTrip's business strategy, market position, and future growth plans.
- Think about how technology can drive business value and competitive advantage.
- Prepare examples of how you've influenced product roadmaps or strategic decisions.
- Be ready to discuss your experience in managing budgets, resources, and cross-functional projects.
- Articulate your vision for an engineering team at MakeMyTrip.