Is this a symptom that algorithmic/competitive coding will be considered the IQ test of future?
My read was that it’ll function more like the LSAT.
Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
241–250 of 675 posts
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#242Earlier quoted context omitted.
Technical interview might not bring people out of their shell but sure helps filter out bullshit.
Does it though? Often times all it tells you is that this person probably saw this question before.
While it's probably diminishing returns at discerning the levels of ability, it's very reliable at filtering out complete bullshitters.
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#243In my team we do technical interviews in three steps: - an algorithmic challenge. It's related to what we do day to day. I work in domain names so we ask to parse a domain name. There are oddities with domain names so we check multiple things: does the candidate know what basic string manipulation functions exist? do they ask questions to get more info? how do they react when we give additional info that break the co…
"an architecture challenge" oooh, these are the worst :)
I can usually research a decent solution for most "architectural challenges" in 15-30 mins, but I find it so difficult to have on my brain rolodex a wide variety of possible answers and probe live which of them will not disappoint a specific interviewer :)
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#244All of these supposed "flaws" of leetcode are by design. Big companies want people who are smart enough to do the work, but obedient enough to put up with all the bullshit that comes with working at a big company. What person better matches that than someone who's able and willing to study for and pass a tech version of the SAT? Every anti-leetcode article I read is some version of "leetcode is bad because it measure…
Every unicorny startup I've interviewed w/ that had a standard big-tech interview loop (1 LC style screener + final w/ 2-3 rounds of LC + 1 system design) was chock full of ex-big tech engineers and managers, replete with stories about wanting a faster paced / dynamic environment. So yes, that absolutely is who they are recruiting. It probably comes down to no more than believing big tech companies have the very best…
I wonder which came first? Did they hire those people because they implemented leetcode style interviews, or did they implement those interviews because they originally hired or were founded by ex-bigco folks that simply did what they knew?
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#245Last xmas I worked on a side project that ended up requiring a moderately substantial algorithm; much more involved than anything I've ever had to do in a LeetCode interview - there's absolutely no way i'd be able to produce it under those circumstances. Yet, the algorithm wasn't the hard part. The hard part was all the exploration I had to do around the problem to get to the point where I understood the constraints…
I'm curious - could you tell us what the algorithm was?
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#246Earlier quoted context omitted.
I want the airplane I am about to board to be flown by a real pilot.
Do you want the plane designed by a brilliant engineer or 100 people who are really good at memorizing engineering questions?
That makes for a snazzy answer but we should probably consider how planes are actually engineered.
Brilliant engineers don’t make safe planes. It’s actually teams with a culture of excellence and quality.
Source: - https://www.netflix.com/title/81272421
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#247As an interviewer I can tell you are absolutely missing the point. Why would I ever want to hire a developer without seeing them perform? And since being able to program a small piece of code to specification is such a basic, important part of development, why would it be bad for me to verify if you can do it? If your friends are so good developers, why would they have a problem reasoning around a relatively simple,…
I think you make good points. I also think that Leetcode problems are not good for this (at least for most companies) simply because the problems are too hard and require preparation or luck. Some of the algo's that are being asked took quite some time to initially develop, e.g. Maximum subarray problem. In my opinion it would be better to ask something a lot simpler, should still give you this information.
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#248Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Someone who builds a truly novel technology solution involving hundreds of hours of effort This person should already have enough of a reputation to get a job at many companies, if their work is public enough. What do you suggest for the 99%+ other candidates?
> This person should already have enough of a reputation to get a job at many companies, if their work is public enough. But then why do people with that kind of reputation still (at certain companies) have to jump through these hoops? https://www.theregister.com/2010/04/21/ken_thompson_take_our... > What do you suggest for the 99%+ other candidates? What about (instead of forcing a months long decision process upon…
It would be fair if the company has to pay you 5-11 months of salary if they decide no after the evaluation period. That would leave ample time to find another job. Also, in many jurisdictions, this kind of arrange isn't legal, for good reason, as the company has way more power over the individual worker.
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#249All of these supposed "flaws" of leetcode are by design. Big companies want people who are smart enough to do the work, but obedient enough to put up with all the bullshit that comes with working at a big company. What person better matches that than someone who's able and willing to study for and pass a tech version of the SAT? Every anti-leetcode article I read is some version of "leetcode is bad because it measure…
The idea that companies are using leetcode tests for rational reasons goes against everything I've seen and experienced or read about. What I have seen, working at startups for more than 20 years, is irrational, self-destructive behavior, over and over and over again. I've worked with many entrepreneurs who have a few million dollars in the bank, and they have a great idea, but they self-destruct due to two big reasons: ego and fear. I wrote about this in How To Destroy A Tech Startup In Three Easy Steps, where I talk about two cases that I saw with my own eyes. This kind of self-destruction is much more common than the kind of clever, rational behavior that you impute to these companies. And I think many other people are also witnessing this kind of irrational, self-destructive behavior, consider the reviews posted on the books page, where quite a few people chimed in to say the book matched their own experience:
https://www.amazon.com/Destroy-Tech-Startup-Three-Steps-eboo...
Re: Stop Interviewing with Leet Code
#250Earlier quoted context omitted.
Systemic problems being blamed on individuals is not going to help. Of course society is a shared responsibility model essentially but it means even a highly skilled and otherwise technically competent and qualified engineer in an inadequately structured system can regularly produce garbage work. Having to hire nothing but the best to achieve decent or viable output IMO moreso implies that the processes or systems ar…
As an adult its your responsibility to produce sensible quality despite social factors. You can not expect society to hold your hand.
I disagree.
Culture is important at companies. Without it quality engineering can’t/won’t happen. People will rise to the bar set by their leadership unfortunately.
Example: The engineering of the Boeing 737 Max
Source: - https://www.netflix.com/title/81272421