Many bigger companies ask coding interview questions you will never have to solve while actually programming.

Topological sort, reversing a linked list™.

If you want to get hired by Big Tech, it’s the game you have to play. Stop complaining, grind LeetCode.

Question is, should you?

Grinding LeetCode Is Girardian

Just like SAT prep, practicing coding interview questions turns potential geniuses into conformist idiots.

Disagree? Here's what will happen.

You'll solve 100 LeetCode problems.

You'll crack the coding interview.

You'll enter the gates to the adult daycare.

You'll drink the smoothies and play the ping pong.

You'll get a notification in Jira, open the task and read the title:

"Increase back btn padding to 24px"

Are Coding Interviews Pure Garbage?

In theory, coding interviews test computer science knowledge. They filter out code monkeys who learned ReactJS this past weekend. Perhaps they test for IQ too.

In practice, however – because they're gameable – coding interviews end up testing for obedience. (Will you jump through the hoops?)

But in startup land, figure-it-out ability is more important than scalability, which is why many startups ditch the CS questions for practical programming in an online editor.

Showcase Your Ideas and Creations

What's good about the tech industry is how results-oriented it is. Original companies don't care about credentials. And as stated above, they don't care about your topological sort.

What are you building? Do you have thoughts of your own?!

I have gotten in touch with a handful of stealth startups and based founders via Twitter. I would have never made these connections by uploading my resume to LinkedIn.

You need to showcase your ideas and your creations.

AFFIRM: I WILL NOT REVERSE THE LINKED LIST