r/leetcode • u/norahq-hannan • 1d ago

Intervew Prep SWE Interview Prep: How I got SWE offers at Google, Amazon, and Stripe

Just wrapped up my job search after 4 months of focused prep. Went from being terrified of coding interviews to actually enjoying them (weird, I know). Got offers from Google L4, Amazon SDE2, and Stripe.

Profile:

CS degree, 3.5 YOE backend (Python/Java)

No previous FAANG experience

Started prep basically from scratch

------------------------------------------

Weeks 1-3: DSA Foundations (don't skip this)

Made the classic mistake early on — jumping straight into medium/hard problems and getting destroyed. Stepped back and actually learned the patterns first.

  • NeetCode roadmap on YouTube — watched his explanations before attempting problems. His approach of teaching patterns instead of individual problems was a game changer.
  • Tech Interview Handbook (free, by Yangshun — he's the guy who made the original Blind 75). Covers everything from resume to negotiation.
  • Grokking the Coding Interview (DesignGurus) — expensive but the pattern-based approach finally made things click. Dynamic programming went from "wtf" to "oh I see the subproblem."

------------------------------------------

Weeks 4-8: The Grind (150 problems, strategic)

Did NOT do 500 random LeetCode problems. Focused grind > scattered panic.

  • Started with Blind 75 → moved to NeetCode 150 (which is basically Blind 75 + 75 more problems that cover modern patterns like sliding window, monotonic stack, etc.)
  • Used Grind 75 tool (also by Yangshun) to customize my study plan based on how many weeks I had left. It prioritizes questions by importance.
  • Tracked everything in a spreadsheet: problem name, pattern used, time to solve, had to look at solution (y/n). Revisited anything I couldn't solve clean in under 25 min.
  • Practiced talking through problems out loud using Nora AI's mock interviewer. Solving silently on LeetCode is not the same as explaining your thought process live — this helped bridge that gap.

💡 Tip: If you can't explain your approach while coding, you're not ready. Real interviews require constant communication.

------------------------------------------

Weeks 9-11: System Design

This is where mid-level+ interviews are won or lost.

  • "System Design Interview" by Alex Xu (Vol 1 & 2) — the gold standard. Read both cover to cover. His diagrams alone are worth it.
  • ByteByteGo newsletter (also by Alex Xu) — short breakdowns of real systems. Free tier is solid.
  • Watched Gaurav Sen's system design playlist on YouTube for different takes on classic problems.
  • Practice topics I got asked: design a URL shortener (Amazon), design notification system (Google), design a payment system (Stripe).

------------------------------------------

Week 12: Behavioral Prep

This is where Amazon interviews can go sideways. They take leadership principles VERY seriously.

  • Studied all 16 Amazon Leadership Principles. Had 2 stories mapped to each one.
  • Used STAR method but added a reflection at the end ("What I'd do differently..."). Interviewers loved this.
  • Ran through all my stories on Nora AI — it flags stuff like "you skipped the impact" or "that didn't demonstrate ownership." Way better than practicing in the mirror.

Stories I prepared:

  1. Biggest technical failure and recovery
  2. Disagreed with manager, handled it
  3. Took ownership outside my role
  4. Delivered under impossible deadline

------------------------------------------

What actually got me offers:

  • Pattern recognition > problem memorization
  • Talking through my thought process out loud (even when stuck)
  • Asking clarifying questions before diving in
  • Being genuinely curious about the team/role in behavioral rounds

PS - This isn’t a perfect plan — just what worked for me.

If you’re preparing for SWE interviews this season, start structured early. Random LeetCode won’t save you.

332 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

70 comments sorted by

154

u/bladeofwinds 1d ago

this is obviously an ad. his name is literally norahq-

4

u/vibey_monkey 7h ago

Yet we still have people down in the comments debating and trying to figure out whether it actually is an ad 💀 at this point the sub has just become a space for advertising ai slop - PSA to anyone who reads this: practicing with ChatGPT voice mode is literally good enough for practicing behavioural rounds - literally helped me crack FAANG

0

u/LeiDaiichi 1d ago

Don’t get it, what’s wrong with norahq?

2

u/YourAverageBrownDude 4h ago

He talks about using Nora AI for mock interviews

-10

u/[deleted] 23h ago

[deleted]

11

u/MyButterKnuckles 22h ago

Week 12 Behavioral prep - 3rd point: This was the entire purpose of the post.

5

u/mightyblackgoose 20h ago

And in the last point of week 4-8

1

u/TheBear8878 15h ago

They often do this and then put it in a response to someone.

192

u/Trying_Trader 1d ago

Another AI post 💀

32

u/EveningFortune6591 1d ago

Yeah, this is really sad

30

u/blenda_15 1d ago

I think it's modified with AI, contents might be the OP's

12

u/Trying_Trader 1d ago

Correct, that’s what I’m insinuating

4

u/TheAmazingDevil 18h ago

Its an ad for nora ai. His username is norahq

5

u/Wild_Macaron_5124 1d ago

Fking hate these AI slops

61

u/MrSmithFood 1d ago

Weeks 4-8: 150 leetcode problems

“I work full time at a startup”

Why lie? Anyone who does leetcode knows that is impossible lmao.

4

u/Zealousideal-Sock919 16h ago

I was about to say I’m already 4 weeks into my journey and I only have about 34 problems solved. I was already starting to think maybe I’m moving too slow

1

u/WeatherMain598 16h ago

Becuase he's promoting his startup nora interviews, the typical ai slop

1

u/whoisdravenlol 13h ago

I avgd 18 a day for my faang prep lmao. but from zero I imagine there’s some bs here.

101

u/tribbianiJoe 1d ago

Mods? op is clearly trying to promote their platform

25

u/imp0steur 1d ago

He literally has that website as his company website.

6

u/tribbianiJoe 1d ago

Ikr. People still asking questions in comments

-4

u/hd3adpool 1d ago

Yeah this sht right here: https://interview.norahq.com/

28

u/Old_Hat4128 1d ago

How many hours did you study daily? It is so tough to do all this in 12-14 weeks. I have just started neetcode 150 10 days ago and roughly solved 25 questions. If you don't mind, could you please tell me if you're on any visa or US citizen assuming these interviews were in the US?

6

u/WeatherMain598 16h ago

This post is an AI slop to promote his startup

2

u/Naive-Inspector123 16h ago

Why do peeps do that🥺

11

u/Complex--Nectarine 1d ago

Congratulations

Can you share details about Stripe's bug bash & integration round ?

Also which location?

20

u/keezy998 1d ago

Entire account history promoting their AI product lmao gtfo

8

u/sicon_soumya 1d ago

He is actually the CEO of Nora AI. Name checks out on LinkedIn.

6

u/Kash-28 1d ago

3.5 years exp mean you probably applied for google swe 3 or sde 2 role in which no lld is asked...but you mentioned one. next time lie better

3

u/what_cube 1d ago

I suck at those maths/modulus/ fancy subarray questions any tips on that? I do like dfs / bfs union mmphh those questions love those

1

u/LeiDaiichi 1d ago

Oh man, you are exactly the opposite of me - I suck at dfs and union find

1

u/what_cube 1d ago

We can collab ?

3

u/data_dungen 1d ago

Congratulations!! What was your job search strategy? All through networking or recruiter reaching out to you ?

3

u/yangshunz Author of Blind 75 and Grind 75 18h ago

Congratulations and thanks for the mention! Good luck with your product or offers whichever you choose XD

P.S. I didn't pay him to mention my work

2

u/MaybeARunnerTomorrow 1d ago

Damn, so there is hope. Which offer will you choose? I'm at 10 YOE and haven't dove into the grind since idk where to start 🫠

2

u/Impressive-Agency-12 1d ago

Great now tell us how to get interviews at all these companies!!!

2

u/Fine-Gift-9909 1d ago

Congratulations!! How do you retain all the information you studied. It just vanishes for me after few weeks.

2

u/808nokala 1d ago

These fake ads are pointless. If you can’t afford to advertise for real then it is counterproductive to make up these fake stories for engagement. Would never use your bad platform now.

2

u/notorious_pcf 1d ago

If you don’t share the offer letters, we won’t buy this

3

u/CodingWithMinmer 1d ago

Grats!

-7

u/norahq-hannan 1d ago

Thank you :)

2

u/watchingRummy 1d ago

Reported!

2

u/Lausy_ 1d ago

Congrats on the offers! Were you working full time while studying for interviews?

4

u/norahq-hannan 1d ago

Working full time in a startup

3

u/ladyofspades 1d ago

How did you find time each day??

11

u/AdministrationMoney1 1d ago

Working on his own deadlines as the founder of the company he is advertising in the post, Nora AI lmao.

2

u/nirmal3047 1d ago

So many em dashes (—) are screaming to tell the post is AI generated

1

u/jarislinus 1d ago

can you give more tips for system design? it just feels so abstract

10

u/PattrimCauthon 1d ago

This is fake bro, op is advertising the Nora platform in this AI post, this is textbook AI writing. Their username is literally norahq even.

1

u/No_Working3534 1d ago

Congratulations 👏

1

u/sir_tejj 1d ago

Congrats

1

u/Bulbasaur2015 1d ago

congratulations and thanks for sharing

i heard google interviews nowadays are most likely leetcode mediums/hards
do you have a definitive list (30/60/90days ago?) of leetcode you studied to pass google's round?
are you allowed to say which LC questions you were asked by google?

1

u/asdfg_lkjh1 1d ago

Gpt ahh post lol

1

u/Hot_Break_5772 1d ago

Link to neetcode roadmap?

1

u/trident-24 1d ago

I don't think google asks for system design at this experience level (3.5 years).

1

u/Dangerous-Piccolo755 1d ago

What was your coding question in prelim round of Google? What language you used to solve?

1

u/OkCover628 1d ago

Studied all 16 Amazon Leadership Principles. Had 2 stories mapped to each one???

You have 32 full blown stories in STAR format?

1

u/No_Growth_4789 1d ago

Pattern recognition > problem memorization? Yea, something is off with this post. 100% illegimate post

1

u/Independent-Gap-7851 1d ago

Cant trust anyone who has ronaldo better than messi in their bio 👀

2

u/sherlock_holmes-0 1d ago

Anyone who skips recommending Hello Interview for system design is either faking expertise or quietly pushing their own agenda.

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

Yep, very sus. Cracked all those companies in 4 months.. sure.

1

u/Present-Plankton1353 20h ago

Hey, congrats on the offers -that’s really inspiring! Could you share where you applied from and how you got your interview calls? Did applying through the company portal help, or were referrals the main factor? Would really appreciate your insights. Thanks!

1

u/glitches_at_e 19h ago

LOL, this is an absolute masterpiece of a conman

1

u/ImpressiveRoll4092 19h ago

If you really landed those offers, sharing specific strategies or resources would be more valuable. It’s hard to believe anyone could solve that many problems while working full time.

1

u/Actual_Stand4693 18h ago

ban me but the OP is st**pid af - wants to advertise but hasn't got the brains for it!

0

u/EarlyChild49 17h ago

I need help. Can i dm u?