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AI productstandard
Your AI feature costs about four cents per request and users love it, but it would lose money at scale. What are your options?
How to approach it
Break the cost down, then look at both sides: lowering cost per request and raising revenue per user.
How a strong answer opens
“First I'd break the cost down per user, not just per request, because a few heavy users often drive most of it. Then I'd work both sides: lower cost per request and more revenue per user.”
Outline of a strong answer
Try answering out loud for a few minutes before you open this.
- Measure cost per user, not just per request
- Lower cost: smaller models, shorter prompts, caching
- Route easy requests to cheaper models
- Limit usage on free plans
- Charge for heavy use
- Track quality as you cut cost
Where this question usually goes wrong
Switching to the cheapest model without tracking quality, or forgetting that charging for heavy use is also an option.
Learn the method
Cost and latency trade-offs in Module 7, AI product interviews.
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