Software Engineer (iOS)

Meta

Let's talk about strings. Suppose you're given two strings, text and pattern. Your task is to implement a function that efficiently determines if the pattern is a subsequence of the text. A subsequence is a sequence that can be derived from another sequence by deleting some or no elements without changing the order of the remaining elements. For example, ace is a subsequence of abcde, but aec is not. Your function should return true if the pattern is a subsequence of the text, and false otherwise. Example 1: text = abcde pattern = ace Output: true Example 2: text = abcde pattern = aec Output: false Example 3: text = abcde pattern = Output: true (An empty string is always a subsequence) Example 4: text = pattern = abc Output: false (A non-empty string cannot be a subsequence of an empty string) Consider edge cases such as empty strings and differing lengths. Discuss the time and space complexity of your solution. Aim for an optimal solution.

Meta

Let's design a stories feature, similar to Instagram or WhatsApp. These stories should disappear after a friend views them and only be available for 24 hours after publishing. Consider the following aspects: Functionality: How would users create and upload stories (photos and videos)? How would users view stories from their friends? How would you implement the 24-hour expiration? How would you handle the disappearing aspect after viewing? Scalability: How would you handle a large number of users uploading and viewing stories simultaneously? How would you efficiently store and retrieve stories? How would you manage the storage as stories expire? Data Model: What database schema would you use to store story information (user, timestamp, media URL, view status)? How would you track which users have viewed a story? Technical Challenges: What are the potential challenges in implementing this feature? How would you address issues like latency, storage limitations, and data consistency? Edge Cases: How would you handle users with slow internet connections? What happens if a user uploads a story right before the 24-hour mark? How would you handle deleted user accounts and their associated stories?

Meta

Let's say you are managing a team of five engineers working on a critical feature for an upcoming product launch. One of your engineers, Sarah, consistently delivers high-quality work but has been missing deadlines lately. During a one-on-one meeting, Sarah confides in you that she is feeling overwhelmed with her workload due to personal issues outside of work. Additionally, another engineer, David, has been expressing frustration about the lack of clear direction and feeling that his skills are not being fully utilized. Furthermore, the team is starting to experience conflicts regarding code ownership and integration, leading to delays and tension. As the engineering manager, how would you address these issues to ensure the successful delivery of the feature while maintaining a positive and productive team environment? Please provide specific steps and strategies you would implement to handle each situation, including Sarah's performance, David's concerns, and the team's conflict.