Coupang

Role: Staff Engineer (L6-2) Phone Screen (60 mins) * Format: Two behavioral questions, one coding problem, and a system design discussion. * Problem: Standard coding question extended into a design discussion regarding distributing the solution across a fleet of servers. Onsite Interview Rounds * Bar Raiser * Focus: In-depth discussion of past experience, design choices in previous projects, and behavioral questions. * Verdict: Strong Hire. * Coding Round 1 * Focus: Two behavioral questions and one coding problem. * Problem: Sort Colors. * Constraint: The interviewer required a specific one-pass solution without using a map, prioritizing a specific implementation over general time/space complexity efficiency. * Verdict: Weak Hire. * Hiring Manager * Focus: Behavioral questions (hardest project, role definition, conflict resolution) and experience deep dive. * Outcome: There was a mismatch between the candidate’s research/MVP background and the interviewer's focus on distributed systems scaling. Despite the short duration of the technical portion, the feedback was positive. * Verdict: Strong Hire. * Coding Round 2 * Focus: Two behavioral questions and two coding problems. * Problem 1: Given networks of two friends represented by a grid, find the minimum connections required to join them. * Solution: Solved using Breadth-First Search (BFS). * Problem 2: Given a binary grid (0s and 1s), identify the number of distinct shapes formed by the 1s. * Verdict: Strong Hire. * System Design * Focus: Two behavioral questions and a design problem. * Problem: Design a ride-sharing application (e.g., Uber). * Outcome: The discussion lacked the depth and conviction expected for the L6-2 level. * Verdict: No / Weak Hire for L6-2. Follow-Up Round * Context: Scheduled due to mixed feedback on the previous System Design round and the "Weak Hire" on Coding Round 1. * Focus: Two behavioral questions and a design problem. * Problem: Design a blob storage system (e.g., S3). * Discussion: The round was collaborative, covering topics such as DynamoDB replication, partitioning strategies, and internal mechanics. * Verdict: Strong Hire for L6-1 (Downleveled). Final Outcome A verbal offer was extended for the L6-1 level upon agreement to relocate. However, the offer was subsequently paused/rescinded due to company restrictions on H1 visa transfers involving government fees.