Posts tagged
A complete dynamic programming interview prep hub: what DP is, the core DP patterns interviewers test, a day-by-day curriculum covering memoization, tabulation, knapsack, LCS, LIS, edit distance, and coin change, plus a complexity quick reference.
A complete 60 day algorithm study plan for FAANG interviews: a week-by-week roadmap, 60-minute daily session structure, and the pitfalls to avoid.
An arrays interview prep hub: why arrays dominate FAANG interviews, the core techniques (two pointers, sliding window, prefix sums, in-place operations), the day lessons that teach them, and a complexity quick reference for array operations and sorting.
A complete FAANG interview prep plan: what interviews actually test, a 4-stage roadmap, timelines by experience level, and how Google, Meta, and Amazon differ.
NeetCode vs Blind 75 vs a structured 60-day plan: an honest comparison of the top coding interview prep approaches, and the best NeetCode alternative.
How the Meta coding interview actually works in 2026: two problems per 45-minute round with no compiler to lean on, why speed and communication matter more here than anywhere else in FAANG, and the DSA topics that dominate: arrays and strings, hash maps, trees and BFS/DFS, intervals, and binary search. Includes a worked merge-intervals Python solution, a brief on the Pirate (system design) round for E4+, what the behavioral round screens for at each level, and a realistic preparation timeline.
A practical 2026 guide to Google coding interview prep: the full loop from recruiter screen to hiring committee, the four things Google actually grades (algorithms, data structures, communication, and 'Googleyness'), realistic prep timelines for L3 through L5, the topics that show up most, a worked example of interview-style problem solving in Python, and the five mistakes that sink otherwise-strong software engineer candidates.
An honest cost-benefit analysis of LeetCode Premium in 2026: what the ~$35/month or ~$159/year actually buys (company-tagged questions, editorial solutions, the debugger, mock assessments), the one feature that justifies the price, and who should skip it entirely. Includes a straight comparison table of free alternatives (NeetCode 150, Blind 75, Tech Interview Handbook, Algorithms in 60 Days, and HackerRank) with candid notes on what each does better and worse, plus recommended setups by timeline and budget.
The 10 dynamic programming patterns FAANG interviews actually test: 1D DP, knapsack, unbounded knapsack, LCS, LIS, edit distance, interval DP, palindrome DP, grid paths, and state machines, each with a Python example, a canonical LeetCode problem, a complexity table, and a recommended study order so dp patterns stop feeling like fifty unrelated problems.
A practical guide to the Amazon coding interview in 2026: the full loop structure (online assessment, phone screen, onsite with Bar Raiser), the DSA topics that actually appear most (hash maps, trees, graphs/BFS, heaps and top-K problems), and why Leadership Principles carry as much weight as code. Includes a worked top-K Python solution, a STAR-format story bank template for LP questions, the traps that sink otherwise-strong candidates, and how to map the whole syllabus onto a 60-day preparation plan.
An honest, tiered guide to coding interview prep resources in 2026. The free tier covers LeetCode's free set, NeetCode 150, Tech Interview Handbook, the Blind 75, structured challenges like Algorithms in 60 Days, and CS50 for fundamentals. The paid tier reviews LeetCode Premium, AlgoExpert, Grokking-style pattern courses, interviewing.io mock interviews, and the classic books (CTCI, EPI), with candid notes on what each is actually worth. The community tier covers Discord servers, Blind, and peer mock-interview platforms. Ends with recommended stacks by timeline and budget.
A direct answer to how long FAANG interview preparation takes: 3-6 months of consistent study for most engineers, broken down by experience level. New grads with a CS degree typically need 2-4 months, self-taught developers 4-8 months, and experienced engineers who haven't touched algorithms recently 3-5 months. Includes a month-by-month preparation plan covering data structures, core patterns, timed practice, mock interviews, and system design, plus the three factors that most affect your personal timeline: starting skill, weekly study hours, and consistency.
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