Getting hired at Twitch, the livestreaming platform with nearly 10 million daily active users, is extremely competitive. Standing out in their technical interviews is crucial but can feel intimidating with tricky coding challenges. In this guide, I’ll share my firsthand experience and tips for tackling LeetCode style questions in Twitch interviews based on my recent hiring process.
Twitch’s technical interviews involve LeetCode type algorithmic and data structure problems, so hardcore LeetCode grinding is essential prep. I solved hundreds of medium and hard problems covering major topics like arrays strings, dynamic programming, graphs and more.
While LeetCode certainly helped strengthen my coding skills, the actual Twitch interviews were still a rollercoaster. Here are the key strategies and mindsets I recommend to ace the Twitch interview coding rounds with confidence:
Clarify Requirements and Test Cases Upfront
Take time to thoroughly understand each problem by asking clarifying questions before jumping to code. Ambiguous requirements can derail your solution, so clarify input formats, edge cases, performance constraints, etc. Request specific examples to illustrate the expected behavior.
Take a simple problem statement like “design an algorithm to reverse a string”. Ask questions like:
- Should whitespace and punctuation be preserved?
- How will input be provided – as a full string, character by character, or other methods?
- What types of validation are required on the input?
- What are some sample input-output cases I should handle?
Get clarity upfront so your solution hits the right requirements!
Think Out Loud and Walk Through Examples
Verbalize your thinking process while working through the problem. Explain how you would handle 2-3 concrete examples step-by-step to demonstrate your approach before coding.
Walking through examples out loud builds intuition faster and surfaces any gaps in your logic The interviewer can provide timely feedback to refine the approach versus waiting until the end when you’ve already written complex code,
Start with a Brute Force Solution
Resist the urge to immediately dive into writing optimized code. First, explain a brute force algorithm that solves the core requirements correctly but inefficiently.
Starting simple reduces chances of getting stuck debugging intricate code and builds incremental confidence. Once you have a working brute force algorithm, explain how you would optimize further.
Write Modular & Readable Code
Modularize your code into helper functions with descriptive names like is_palindrome() or reverse_string_in_place(). Avoid writing one monolithic chunk of complex code.
Well structured code with semantic variable names clarifies your thinking and is much easier to iterate on. Readability enables quickly identifying and fixing issues.
Think Through Edge Cases
Walk through edge cases and analyze if your algorithm handles them properly. Edge cases like empty inputs, overflow, special characters etc. frequently break naive solutions.
Discuss edge cases as you explain your approach so the interviewer can provide inputs to test them. Thinking preemptively about edge cases demonstrates strong analytical skills.
Time/Space Complexity Analysis
Analyze the time and space complexity of your algorithms. Start with simpler complexity analysis of brute force solutions and then calculate savings from optimizations.
The interviewer is evaluating your computer science fundamentals, so discuss complexity tradeoffs between approaches instead of relying on intuition.
Ask for Feedback Frequently
After explaining each significant part of your algorithm like the brute force approach, optimizations, edge case handling, seek explicit feedback. Ask clarifying questions to validate if the interviewer agrees with your approach or has any other inputs.
Iterating smoothly based on feedback displays soft skills just as critical as coding ability in interviews. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for hints.
Practice, Practice, Practice
There is no substitute for practice. Grind LeetCode consistently over months to improve speed and accuracy on all coding interview topics. Critically analyze mistakes to avoid repeating them.
Practice mock interviews to simulate real coding conditions. Assess if your communication and thought process are clear when you think aloud.
With sufficient practice and using these tips during the actual interviews, you’ll see your confidence and performance improve dramatically. Best of luck with getting that coveted Twitch offer! Personally, going through their rigorous process proved invaluable for leveling up my skills, whether I worked there or elsewhere.
