What are potential drawbacks of Repository pattern?

Short answer: Over-abstraction: Can add unnecessary complexity for simple apps. Duplication: May duplicate what EF Core already provides (since EF is already a repository/unit-of-work pattern). Hides EF Core features: May obscure advanced capabilities like eager loading or projections. Extra boilerplate: Especially with generic repositories, which may not add much value. Unit of Work

Real-world example (ShopNest)

ShopNest payment fees use Strategy: IFeeCalculator with UPI/Card implementations chosen at runtime.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.