Outline & Notes

Title: Mastering FAANG System Design Interviews: A Guide from Junior to Principal Levels

1. Introduction

• Brief personal introduction highlighting your experience with over 70 mock interviews and conducting hundreds at Meta.
• Establish credibility by mentioning your extensive interviewing experience.
• Set the stage for the discussion about the varying expectations across different levels in system design interviews.

2. The Online Resources Gap

• Discuss the abundance of online resources for system design, emphasizing their focus on mid-level candidates.
• Point out the limitations of these resources: adequate in breadth but lacking in depth.
• Explain the need for a more nuanced approach to cater to different levels of expertise.

3. Breadth vs. Depth in System Design Interviews

• Define 'Breadth' and 'Depth' in the context of system design.
• Discuss the shifting ratio of breadth to depth across levels:
  • E4 (Mid-Level): 80% Breadth, 20% Depth.
  • E5 (Senior): 60% Breadth, 40% Depth.
  • E6 (Staff/Principal): 40% Breadth, 60% Depth.
• Highlight the implications of this shift and what it means for candidates at each level.
• Talk about how at E4 the expectation is that your knowlege is largely academic and theoretical. At the senior levels, this should no longer be the case.

4. Practical Example: Ticket Master System Design

• Introduce a sample system design question - designing a system like Ticket Master.
• Break down how candidates at different levels should approach this question:
  • E4 Level: Focus on the general architecture, basic APIs, and straightforward scalability solutions.
  • E5 Level: Delve deeper into system components, advanced scalability, and performance optimization.
  • E6 Level: Strategic and visionary approach, considering long-term scalability, business impact, and innovation.
• Provide insights into what interviewers look for at each level in terms of problem-solving, creativity, and technical depth.