One of the things I like asking candidates is "Tell me about a time you screwed up so royally that you were sure you were getting fired." I asked similar, and

One of the things I like asking candidates is "Tell me about a time you screwed up so royally that you were sure you were getting fired." I asked similar, and agree that it's a really useful question. I think it's an especially great one for startups, as successful candidates are more likely to come into contact with production systems. For these positions you not only want people capable of recovering accidents, but also people who have screwed up because, conversely, they've been trusted not to screw up. Those who've never been trusted enough to not damage a system are unlikely to be of much use.