Technical Competence

This video analyzes the technical aspects of a system design interview, focusing on how our design choices are evaluated. Here's what we need to keep in mind:

• Thoughtful design choices: We must justify our technology choices (e.g., Cassandra) with clear reasoning connected to the system's needs and demonstrate awareness of alternative solutions.

• Multiple solutions and trade-offs: We should showcase our technical depth by considering various solutions (e.g., push vs. pull models) and understanding their trade-offs (e.g., SQL vs. NoSQL databases).

• Real-world examples: We need to incorporate practical, real-world examples of technologies and products to illustrate our design choices and demonstrate practicality.

• Deep technical knowledge: We should possess a strong understanding of the technologies we propose, including their internal workings and how they compare to alternatives.

• Feedback and iteration: We must be receptive to feedback on our design choices and demonstrate the ability to adapt and improve our solutions based on the interviewer's input.

Gaurav Sen has conducted 1000s of system design interviews while working at Uber and building his YouTube channel to 500K+ subscribers. His platform InterviewReady combines video explainers, live Zoom classes, and an automated System Design Judge.