Software Engineer (iOS)

Meta

Given a string containing alphanumeric and special characters, determine if it's a palindrome, ignoring special characters and case. Can you do this in-place (without using extra space)? For example, 12@#.Race@#car is a palindrome. How would you approach this?

Meta

Let's design a new feature for the Facebook app: Ephemeral Groups. These groups function like regular Facebook groups but with a key difference: all content (posts, comments, media) within the group is automatically deleted after 24 hours. The group itself remains, but the content vanishes. Imagine users creating groups for flash events, temporary project collaborations, or just sharing memes that are only funny for a day. Here are some considerations to guide our design: Use Cases: What are the primary use cases for Ephemeral Groups? Consider examples beyond those mentioned above. User Interface: How would users create and identify Ephemeral Groups within the existing Facebook app? How is it visually distinct? Data Storage: How would you efficiently store and automatically delete content to minimize storage costs and ensure compliance with the 24-hour expiration? Abuse Prevention: How do you prevent the misuse of Ephemeral Groups for sharing harmful or illegal content, given the disappearing nature of the data? Notifications: How would notifications work for Ephemeral Groups? Should users receive notifications for content that will disappear soon? Privacy: How would we make users aware of the ephemeral nature of the group and its content to manage their privacy expectations effectively? Scalability: How would this feature scale to handle potentially millions of Ephemeral Groups without impacting the performance of the overall Facebook platform? Walk me through your design proposal, addressing these considerations and any other relevant aspects you believe are important.

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.