Software Engineer · Phone Screen · Coding

Netflix — Software Engineer ✅ Passed

Level: Mid-Level · L4

Round: Phone Screen · Type: Coding · Difficulty: 7/10 · Duration: 60 min · Interviewer: Unfriendly

Topics: Data Structures, Cache, Key-Value Store

Location: Los Gatos, CA

Interview date: 2026-01-15

Summary

I encountered a timed key-value cache problem during my phone screen. It seems to be less common for the specific team I interviewed with.

Details

The phone screen involved implementing a timed key-value cache. After the interview, I discovered that this question is typically used by different teams, making my preparation based on recent interview experiences for the specific team less effective. I should have broadened my scope.

My approach:

1. I started by outlining the basic structure of a key-value cache, including the storage mechanism (e.g., a hash map).
2. Then, I added a time-to-live (TTL) component to each entry in the cache.
3. Finally, I implemented the logic to evict expired entries, possibly using a background thread or lazy eviction on access.

Key Insights:

• Ensure understanding of cache eviction strategies.
• Be prepared to discuss the trade-offs between different implementations.