Before Leetcode I’d imagine that software interviews were more focused on concepts like OOP, networks, databases, etc. So when Leetcode showed up and everyone started practicing on it, was that the trigger for movement of software interviews to becoming more algorithm based?
No. Don't misplace the cause and effect.
if leetcode was the effect, then what was the cause?
Big Ns already used algorithm to interview candidates ten years ago. Smaller companies at their time prefer ad hoc questions, which is less efficient and deterministic for both company and candidates. Algorithm problems are like SAT. Smaller colleges/companies chose them because it benefits their hiring.
Back then it was about estimating how many golf balls you could fit in a bus and reversing linked lists in C... not much better back then.
How many golf balls you can fit in a bus is a great question tbh. Would let you really gauge the thought process of the candidate in problem solving.
When I go for an interview, I evaluate my perspective employer from different angles ("do I want to make a change and work for your team?") This question ("golf balls in a bus") demonstrates what range of tasks your team is working on. Like ignorant interviewers who memorized both the algorithmic question and an ideal solution, but have no clue how the latter is made out of the former.
Believe me not, some old school Microsoft engineering managers still use reverse linked lists in interviews.
IIRC, “Cracking the coding interview” book was first released in 2011. I can assure you that in 2011 people were complaining the same amount about algorithm questions in interviews, but the rat race and related TC FOMO were not there. More people leetcode now, not because leetcode exists, but because the incentive for passing an interview at a respectable tech company is a lot higher than 10 years ago. Mind you, in 2011 the H1b quota for the year wasn’t even met. It was pretty chill, but you needed algorithms/ds to switch jobs anyway.
Algorithm interviews were never this hard
I personally find the interview process better than it was in 2011. There are some tough questions, but in general it’s more streamlined and in most cases those who have a good grasp of fundamentals are able to come up with acceptable solutions in reasonable time.
They seem to be the equivalent of the old brain teaser questions but with a smidge more potential for practical use.
I think you have them reversed. LeetCode exists because companies ask algo questions and someone finding a job need to practice. Not because of leetcode the companies start to ask someone to solve algos...
Tech Industry
Yesterday
1053
I haven’t done shit today!
Tech Industry
Yesterday
3093
Avoid teams with only Chinese or Indians especially with a Chinese/Indian manager
India
Yesterday
266
Heard congress distributing wealth
Tech Industry
2d
41389
Worried that our top performer is an attrition risk. How do managers handle this?
Tech Industry
Yesterday
559
Biden Signs ‘TikTok Ban’ Into Law
Nope