The five sentences that saved my system-design interview

What to say while your brain catches up

1. "Let me make sure I understand the requirements first."
2. "Before I draw anything, can I clarify the expected scale?"
3. "I'll start with the simplest version and we can iterate."
4. "There's a trade-off here — let me walk through both options."
5. "I'd want to validate that with a benchmark before committing."

None of these promise an answer. All of them sound like a senior engineer thinking out loud.