Dropbox | Software Engineer | Interview Experience
Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Fail
Difficulty: Average
Interview Process
The interview consisted of two coding rounds.
First Round: File Crawler
- Implement an API that takes a file path and returns all files under that path, including a helper function.
- Discuss how to scale the first function (no coding required).
- Based on the discussion, implement an asynchronous job with provided template code.
Second Round: Word Guessing Game
- Two players play a game where one player selects a word and the other guesses letters. Feedback is given as “hit” if the letter is in the word (and revealed) or “miss” if it is not (added to a miss array).
- The interviewer provides an example to ensure understanding.
- Follow-up questions involve the option for the word selector to change the word mid-game, and the guesser must minimize the number of guesses. Discuss the solution and write pseudocode.
Technical Questions
- File System (Asynchronous Programming, API)
- Word Guessing Game (String Manipulation, Game, Optimization)
Tips & Insights
- Focus on understanding the requirements clearly before diving into coding.
- Discuss scalability and optimization strategies during the interview.