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Level: Senior-Level
Round: Onsite · Type: Multiple Types · Difficulty: 7/10 · Duration: 300 min · Interviewer: Neutral
Topics: Binary Search, Recommendation Systems, Behavioral Questions, Sampling Algorithms, AI Coding
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Interview date: 2026-01-05
Got offer: False
Interview Rounds Overview
I had my onsite interview in early January.
Round 1: Coding
I don't remember the first question, but it was quite simple. The second question was random sample with weight, which I solved using binary search in O(log n) time. The follow-up question was how to optimize it if it were to be called millions of times. I couldn't come up with a solution on the spot, but later GPT suggested using the Alias method. I'm not sure if this algorithm is expected to be known in interviews.
Round 2: AI-enabled coding
The question was Maximize Unique Characters from Word List. I performed poorly in this round and barely finished the second part, even with the help of an AI solution. I'm sure I failed this round.
Round 3: Location Recommendation System
I had to build a location recommendation system from scratch and discussed how to acquire data.
Round 4: Short Video Recommendation
This round focused on designing a short video recommendation system.
Round 5: Behavioral (BQ)
The questions were standard behavioral questions, but the round ended in less than 35 minutes. The interviewer said they had collected enough signals, but I felt like I didn't say much. I'm not sure if this is normal.