Key Learnings and Effective Strategies After Solving 300 LeetCode Problems for Software Engineering Interviews

SWErikCodes

Motivation for LeetCoding [00:00:22]

• Initial Struggles and Frustrations [00:00:26]
  • Experienced significant frustration with LeetCode problems, even those marked "easy."
  • Acknowledges that most beginners struggle with easy questions at first.
• Why LeetCode is Necessary for Software Engineering [00:00:44]
  • Software engineering interviews are often harder than the actual job. [00:00:48]

    

  • Jobs might involve simpler tasks (e.g., making a button rounder) or complex backend work where LeetCode's data structures and algorithms are rarely used.
• Primary Motivation: Money and Prestige [00:01:04]
  • Explicitly states that his sole motivation was the financial reward and prestige of a big tech software engineering job.
  • Achieved a significant salary increase from $30/hour to $70/hour total compensation as an Amazon software engineering intern. [00:01:12]
  • The entire interview process for his Amazon internship was based on LeetCode questions, with minimal time for personal discussion.

Learning Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) [00:01:29]

• Importance of DSA for Big Tech Jobs [00:01:31]
  • Stresses that strong proficiency in DSA is essential for landing a big tech software engineering role.
• Recommended Free YouTube Resources [00:01:43]
  • Abdul Bari: Considered the "goat" for DSA, explaining complex subjects quickly and effectively, questioning the value of expensive university classes. [00:01:45]

    

  • Michael Sambble: Offers concise recaps of DSA concepts in just a couple of minutes, making it ideal for quick reviews. [00:02:03]

    

• Visual Learning Tool: visualalgo.net [00:02:27]
  • A highly recommended free website for visualizing various data structures and algorithms. [00:02:27]

    

  • Allows users to visually understand operations like creating, inserting, searching, and deleting nodes in data structures like linked lists. [00:02:37]

    

  • Displays the associated code alongside the animations, helping to understand the process line by line.

Effective LeetCode Problem Solving [00:02:55]

• Avoiding Common Mistakes: Structured Learning [00:03:06]
  • Advises against randomly solving LeetCode questions, as this can hinder learning and lead to frustration. [00:03:08]
  • Emphasizes the need to follow a specific order for learning DSA concepts (e.g., arrays before dynamic programming). [00:03:18]
• Utilizing NeetCode for a Structured Roadmap [00:03:29]
  • Recommends NeetCode.io, which provides a roadmap for learning everything step-by-step. [00:03:31]

    

  • Blind 75: Start with this list of 75 questions, which are the most frequently asked in big tech interviews and cover fundamental concepts. [00:03:38]

    

  • NeetCode 150: Move on to this list for more advanced practice after mastering the Blind 75. [00:03:38]
• Problem-Solving Strategy [00:03:54]
  • Daily Practice: Aim to solve one question every day. [00:03:54]
  • Leverage Video Solutions: If stuck, watch the video solution. This is not cheating if you understand the breakdown (attempt, brute force, optimized algorithm) and can reproduce it later. [00:03:57]
  • Coding Language: Recommends Python due to its English-like syntax, which simplifies the coding process and removes barriers in already complex problems. [00:04:46]
  • Interview Approach:
    • Classify the Problem: Identify the relevant data structure or algorithm. [00:05:00]
    • Write Pseudo-code: Outline the step-by-step solution or workflow in English. This practice helps articulate your thought process during interviews, even if the final code has errors. [00:05:07]
• The "Cheat Code" Strategy: Personalized Notes [00:05:32]
  • Create a Cheat Sheet: Jot down notes for every question solved. [00:05:38]
    • Include useful insights, areas of struggle, and the algorithms used. [00:05:40]
    • Color-code notes based on problem difficulty. [00:05:45]

      

  • Interview Preparation: Review this personalized cheat sheet the day before an interview to reinforce learning and jog your memory. [00:05:48]

Is LeetCode Worth It? [00:07:32]

• Personal Financial and Career Outcomes [00:07:34]
  • Confirms that it was "obviously yes" worth it, given his financial motivation. [00:07:34]
  • Secured software engineering internships at Amazon and Autodesk. [00:07:47]

    

  • Earned close to $50,000 from these two internships by age 21. [00:07:50]
• Career Advancement [00:07:58]
  • LeetCode "kickstarted" his career and helped him "break into big tech." [00:08:01]
  • While building projects for a resume gets you interviews, LeetCode is what helps you get hired. [00:08:10]
  • Advises grinding LeetCode if you are getting interviews but not converting them. If not getting interviews, focus on resume building and projects. [00:08:20]

Refined LeetCode Strategy and Future Outlook [00:08:29]

• Avoid Excessive Problem Solving [00:08:31]
  • Recommends against solving 300 questions, as it's often unnecessary. [00:08:31]
• Key Resources and Strategy [00:08:46]
  • Complete NeetCode's Blind 75. [00:08:46]
  • Continue learning from Abdul Bari, Michael Sambble, and NeetCode. [00:08:50]

    

  • Create personal documentation/notes. [00:08:58]
  • Company-Specific Prep: For interviews, use Sean Prashed's LeetCode Patterns website to specifically cram questions frequently asked by the target company. [00:09:02]

    

• Evolving Interview Landscape [00:08:42]
  • Notes that some companies (e.g., Snapchat) are moving away from LeetCode-style interviews, suggesting LeetCode might be less dominant in the future. [00:08:40]