Software Engineer · Onsite · Multiple Types

[ OK ] 97f68688-5a0a-4bb7-aff8-456e2da9cdca — full writeup

[ INFO ] category: Behavioral · Multiple Types difficulty: 7 freq: first seen: 2026-04-09

[7][MULTIPLE TYPES]System DesignDepth-First SearchRecommender Systems

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Perplexity — Software Engineer ✅ Passed

Level: Senior-Level

Round: Onsite · Type: Multiple Types · Difficulty: 7/10 · Duration: 180 min · Interviewer: Neutral

Topics: System Design, Depth-First Search, Recommender Systems

Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Interview date: 2025-08-15

This was an onsite interview consisting of two system design rounds and one coding round.

The onsite interview consisted of two system design rounds and one coding round.

I don't remember the exact coding question, but it involved a depth-first search (DFS).

The two system design questions were:

Design a recommender system for Perplexity's discovery page. The feed should be personalized.
Design a trending queries system for the Perplexity homepage, with the possibility of personalization over time.

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