Why System Design is a Game-Changer for Tech Careers

👨💻Google 👉 Just do these 300 questions 👨💻Microsoft 👉 Just do these 250 questions 👨💻Amazon 👉Just do these 200 questions 👨💻Meta 👉Just do these 180 questions 👨💻Apple 👉 Just do these 200 questions We often look for the top 200,300 questions to crack a specific organisation but that's not what it takes🤔 Looks like a checklist, right? ✅ But here’s the truth: It’s not about the number of questions. 👉 You can solve 500 random problems and still struggle. 👉 Or you can solve 200 well-chosen problems and crack FAANG. Because interviews aren’t about “how many” you solved — They’re about whether you recognized the patterns, for example: 📌 Binary Search variations 📌 Sliding Window tricks 📌 Graph traversals (DFS/BFS/Union Find) 📌 Dynamic Programming templates 📌 Greedy & backtracking patterns That’s what matters. Companies don’t want a “walking LeetCode counter.” They want someone who can identify patterns, apply logic, and build scalable solutions. So stop chasing numbers. Start chasing patterns (That's where the game begins) #google #microsoft #apple #faang #engineering #interviews

How does LinkedIn build AI Agents that think, plan, act and collaborate with users? How have we evolved since we launched our first agent - Hiring Assistant? How have we embraced recent trends? Find answers to this and more in our engineering blog post by Karthik Ramgopal, which I'm proud to have co-authored. https://lnkd.in/gGe8PKTv #aiagents #agents #genai

He got the tech job. Can't code to save his life. His manager calls him their best hire in years. Something doesn't add up. Here's the truth: coding skills aren't the only predictor of tech success. Not even close. After years in tech, I've noticed 5 traits that matter way more: 🧩 Problem Decomposition •Break complex issues into smaller parts •See patterns others miss •Ask "why" before jumping to solutions 🔄 Comfort with Change •Adapt to new tools without stress •View setbacks as learning chances •Stay calm when requirements shift 🤝 Collaborative Spirit •Share knowledge freely •Ask for help when stuck •Make others' jobs easier 🔍 User Empathy •Care about end-user needs •Test assumptions regularly •Think beyond the technical specs 🌱 Growth Mindset •Learn from mistakes quickly •Seek feedback actively •Stay curious about new approaches Want to know if tech's right for you? Ask yourself: Do you get excited breaking down complex problems? Does constant change energize you? Are you happiest when helping others succeed? Your answers matter more than any coding test. Which of these traits resonates most with you? Drop a comment below—especially if you've seen other non-technical strengths drive success in tech. #TechCareers #CareerGrowth #TechIndustry

Timing is Everything — Especially in Development The harsh reality is that beautiful ideas often get buried by cheap labor and the "learn on the job" mentality. While this approach may save costs upfront, it can cost you the market. In today's fast-paced world, success depends on timing. If you're building a product, make sure you're hiring competent developers who can deliver results quickly, and with quality. Speed and excellence aren’t mutually exclusive; they can go hand-in-hand when you’ve got the right people in place. Don't gamble with your product—invest in talent, get to market on time, and watch your vision come to life. #tech #softwareDevelopment #productLaunch #hiring #businessStrategy #innovation

💬 Ok, I’m going to say it. After many years leading product engineering orgs, hiring engineers, handling escalations, etc., one thing I have noticed is: 👉 Around 85% of software work is “complex” - but with the complexity being in translating requirements, navigating process, tech stack, dealing with constraints etc. 👉 And maybe 15% is true “rocket science” - those really smart optimizations, the hard bugs, the performant external integrations that require deep creativity. With context coding (AI used iteratively with guidance), AI can take care of more than half of that 85% - if good engineers are in the loop to steer it. That means: ⚡ Faster delivery on the bulk of work ⚡ Engineers spending more time on the high-leverage “rocket science” work ⚡ Teams creating more value with more fulfillment So why are so many teams still resisting this shift? #BuildWithAI #ContextCoding #ProductLeadership #SaaS

💡 The shift from “good engineer” to “high-impact engineer” is subtle, but game-changing. Early in my career, I thought success meant: Writing more code Solving the hardest problems myself Knowing every framework But over time, I learned that high-impact engineers do things differently: 🔹 1. They think in trade-offs, not absolutes. → The “perfect” solution that delays delivery by 3 weeks is usually not the best solution. 🔹 2. They make performance measurable. → Instead of saying “the app feels slow”, they say “INP dropped from 350ms to 120ms”. Data drives credibility. 🔹 3. They multiply impact by unblocking others. → A 30 minute code review that prevents 3 future bugs saves days of debugging. 🔹 4. They communicate in business terms. → “This refactor reduced load time by 40%, improving checkout conversions.” 🔹 5. They keep learning, even when they’re “senior.” → Tech changes fast; curiosity compounds. ✨ The lesson: Being a strong engineer isn’t just about what you build, but about the clarity, impact, and leverage you create for your team and product. 👉 Engineers reading this: Which one of these shifts has made the biggest difference in your career? #technology #softwareengineering #programming #careers

*An engineer’s job isn't to build technology. It's to improve someone’s life through it.* It’s easy to get caught up in the code, features, and architecture. But behind every product is a human. A person who depends on what we build - not in theory, but in the real world. Some will use your product casually. Others will work with it for hours every day - operators, administrators, support staff. And some will need to integrate with your APIs. *Different roles, different goals - but always a person on the other side.* Working on a ride-hailing platform, I get to experience this firsthand. I’ve used the product when I was tired, and yes, even when I was drunk. I’ve seen drivers hustling for their families, powering through long shifts. In moments like those, the smallest design decisions matter. A confusing button, a slow screen, a bad UX choice - these aren't just bugs or edge cases. They’re real friction in real people’s lives. *The world is not a lab test. It’s messier, harder - and more meaningful.* That’s why empathy is a core engineering skill. Because the best tech isn’t the most advanced - it’s the most human. #Engineering #UserExperience #RideHailing #EmpathyInTech #HumanCenteredDesign

Recruiters and hiring managers, I BEG you to check out Niche's approach to creating job descriptions. It has all the markers of a great job description: it's detailed, transparent about pay ranges, and shares the org's hiring process. What really stands out—and I don't think I've ever seen this before—is that it lists the key first-year performance expectations milestones (1mo, 3mo, 6mo, and year)! As a job seeker, that information is invaluable! First, it provides the reader with insight into the organization's expectations, which will help with customizing resumes and cover letters for this job. Second, and more importantly, it offers valuable insights into both expectations and the organization's perspective on the role, as well as research and design in general. Most mature organizations have those expectations set before initiating hiring. In my experience, if it's shared during the hiring process, it's usually during the back-end. PLEASE FOLLOW NICHE'S EXAMPLE AND PUT IT INTO YOUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS. I guarantee that this will help with getting better application packets (or at least ones that are easier to sift through).

The best engineers don’t just write code. They run through walls. When I was only an L4 SWE at Google, one of the biggest projects I led didn’t even have a product manager. To make it happen, I:   1. Wrote the PRDs myself.   2. Sat down with legal, privacy, and finance teams to work through blockers.   3. Pulled in designers, set milestones, and got buy-in across orgs. That initiative not only launched, it shaped my growth at Google far more than any “perfectly-scoped” engineering assignment ever could. 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆: “𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹.” I’ve realized that’s just as true for engineers in big tech. At scale, the engineers who thrive aren’t just the ones with the sharpest algorithms or the cleanest abstractions. They’re the ones who:   • 𝘖𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥-𝘵𝘰-𝘦𝘯𝘥, even outside their job description.   • 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 -- product, legal, design, ops -- when nobody else steps in.   • 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘺, missing roles, or organizational friction. 👉 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: “Relentlessly resourceful” isn’t just for startup founders.   1. If you apply it inside a big company, you stand out -- because most people wait for the perfect scope, the perfect team, the perfect PM.   2. But the reality is: growth happens when you chase impact, not when you stay in your lane.

When I first heard about System Design, I thought cracking books and theory was the only way forward. I memorized concepts. I drew diagrams. I kept revising. But something was missing. The real breakthroughs came when I discovered engineering blogs written by the actual builders. They don’t just explain theory. They show why Netflix chose one database over another, how Stripe handles scale, or how LinkedIn optimizes performance. That’s when System Design stopped being abstract, and started feeling real. If you’re preparing for interviews or just want to think like a better engineer start here: 🔹 Netflix - https://lnkd.in/de9aM-Qa 🔹 Amazon - https://lnkd.in/d7t5sq7Q 🔹 Meta - https://lnkd.in/dhCjfRgX 🔹 Stripe - https://lnkd.in/dumsW2H9 🔹 Zerodha - https://zerodha.tech/ 🔹 LinkedIn - https://lnkd.in/dRnvDBnG What's your favorite engineering blog? Drop a link in the comments! 👇 #SystemDesign #SoftwareEngineering #SystemDesignInterview #Tech #EngineeringBlogs