"Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy."
"Tell me about a time you proposed something that went beyond your immediate scope."
Strong answer: you were asked to optimize one API endpoint. Instead, you proposed a caching layer that sped up endpoints across services. You built a proof of concept, got buy-in, and led the implementation.
Weak answer: describing routine work at a larger scale. Think Big means seeing the bigger picture and proposing solutions others didn't consider. Vision backed by action.