Advanced System Design Interview Questions
Recently I worked with Educative’s technical content team on a video covering the Basics of System Design. That tutorial unpacks the building blocks of modern System Design, (i.e. the core fundamentals of distributed systems that every engineer should know). I’ve also shared my insights about Uber system design and effective ways to answer these technical questions.
Today, I'd like to share a sequel to that video: a step-by-step breakdown of 3 real-world System Design Interview questions. How to design Uber, Spotify, and X.
This video tutorial puts the fundamentals into practice using three of my favorite System Design questions that I love to ask in interviews:
Uber System Design
Design Spotify
Design X (Formerly Twitter)
In this tutorial, I talk about the core value proposition for each system – i.e. the element that makes each of these systems unique – and then give you a repeatable blueprint for approaching any System Design interview question.
What’s so special about these 3 questions?#
Most System Design questions will start the same way. Once you receive the question (e.g. “design a rideshare service”), you will be expected to ask clarifying questions and sketch out a high-level design on the whiteboard.
At this phase, I want candidates to do the following:
Demonstrate that they know how to scope the problem appropriately.
Identify the most critical design challenges.
Zero in on the most important trade-offs.
But there is a secret to a truly great System Design Interview. In addition to demonstrating a working knowledge of distributed systems and System Design building blocks, you need to demonstrate an understanding of the qualities that make the system in question unique.
I go deeper on this point in the video using three real-world examples, but here’s the truth:
Missing the right spot to dive deep and demonstrate specialized knowledge is one of the most common SDI blunders I see. That’s why the key to successful SDI prep is to study the core value propositions of the main systems you’ll be asked to build.
I selected these three questions because they provide a fairly comprehensive representation of the kinds of questions you might encounter in a System Design Interview. Mastering these three questions will give you a huge advantage in your actual interview, because they cover a wide swath of System Design problems you might encounter.
Need More System Design Interview Practice?#
Of course, this video tutorial is hardly comprehensive. If you are looking to get more hands-on practice with System Design Interview questions, I recommend our popular course: Grokking the Modern System Design Interview for Engineers & Managers.
In addition to covering the fundamental building blocks of modern System Design, this hands-on course breaks down 13 common real-world System Design problems.
Each problem starts with a brief discussion of the system and its main value proposition. Then it highlights the necessary key components that lead to the solution that your interviewer is looking for.
Given the breadth and variety of System Design Interviews, they can often make or break the interview loop for many engineers. I hope this tutorial helps you become more confident with the System Design Interview process. All it takes is a little practice. And this is the time to start crushing on system design interview prep. Educative's courses and learning paths offer comprehensive preparation for technical interviews.
Good luck with your interviews, and happy learning!
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