Interview Preparation Master Guide

Karan Jadhav — Backend Engineer (5+ YOE) targeting SDE roles at startups Python · Rust · PostgreSQL · FastAPI · Django · AWS · Distributed Systems

How to Use This Guide

Follow the order below — topics are arranged from most critical to supplementary
Each document has theory, key concepts, practice questions, and linked resources
Take notes in each file — add your own examples, edge cases, and “aha” moments
Time-box each topic — don’t get stuck; move forward and revisit weak areas
Practice out loud — especially for system design and behavioral rounds

Study Plan Overview

Week	Focus Area	Document
1-3	Data Structures & Algorithms	01-dsa-and-coding.md
2-4	System Design	02-system-design.md
2-3	Python Deep Dive	03-python-deep-dive.md
3-4	Databases & SQL	04-databases-and-sql.md
3-4	Backend & API Design	05-backend-and-api-design.md
4-5	Distributed Systems	06-distributed-systems.md
4-5	AWS & Infrastructure	07-aws-and-infrastructure.md
5-6	Rust Interview Prep	08-rust-interview-prep.md
6+	Behavioral & Soft Skills	09-behavioral-and-soft-skills.md
6+	Startup-Specific Prep	10-startup-specific-prep.md
All	Power Keywords & Phrases	11-interview-power-keywords.md
NOW	Accelerated Job Search Plan	guide-emergency-job-search-plan
Daily	30-Day Study Plan (Day-by-Day)	guide-daily-study-plan

What Startup SDE Interviews Typically Look Like

Round 1: Phone Screen / Recruiter Call (15-30 min)
  → Why this company? Background walkthrough. Salary expectations.

Round 2: Coding Round (45-60 min)
  → 1-2 LeetCode Medium-level problems. Clean code. Edge cases. Complexity analysis.

Round 3: System Design (45-60 min)
  → Design a real-world system. Trade-offs. Scalability. Database choices.

Round 4: Technical Deep Dive (45-60 min)
  → Past projects. Architecture decisions. Debugging war stories.
  → Language-specific questions (Python internals, Rust ownership, etc.)

Round 5: Behavioral / Culture Fit (30-45 min)
  → STAR method stories. Collaboration. Conflict resolution. Why startups?

Round 6 (sometimes): Take-Home / Live Coding
  → Build a small API or feature end-to-end.

Your Strengths to Leverage

Based on your resume + portfolio:

5+ years sole backend ownership at a startup — rare and valuable
Multi-terabyte data experience (1.8TB, 2.3 trillion records) — strong talking points
Performance optimization stories (minutes → milliseconds) — interviewers love this
Full stack of a backend: API design, DB architecture, queues, caching, AWS infra
Rust as a differentiator — very few backend candidates know Rust
Domain expertise in geospatial/climate tech — shows depth, not just breadth
Currently studying DDIA — shows growth mindset

Your Gaps to Address

DSA practice: If you haven’t been grinding LeetCode, this is your biggest risk area
Formal system design vocabulary: You do system design daily, but need to articulate it in interview format
Multi-company experience: Only one company — prepare to address “why now?” and “what will you bring?”
Frontend/full-stack breadth: Your resume is backend-focused, which is fine, but be ready if they ask about full-stack

Daily Practice Routine (Suggested)

Morning (1-2 hours):
  → Solve 1-2 LeetCode problems (focus on patterns, not quantity)
  → Review solution even if you solved it — check optimal approaches

Afternoon (1-2 hours):
  → Study one section from the current week's topic guide
  → Take notes, draw diagrams, explain concepts to yourself

Evening (30-60 min):
  → Practice one behavioral question using STAR method
  → Do a mini system design (15 min whiteboard sketch of a system)

Weekly:
  → 1 mock interview (use Pramp, interviewing.io, or a friend)
  → Review and update notes

Key Resources (Bookmarks)

Coding Practice

NeetCode 150 — Curated problems by pattern
LeetCode Patterns — 178 problems grouped by pattern
Blind 75 — The classic must-do list
Grind 75 — Customizable study plan

System Design

System Design Primer (GitHub) — Free, comprehensive
Grokking System Design (Educative) — Structured course
DDIA Book — You’re already reading this!
ByteByteGo — Alex Xu’s visual system design content
System Design Handbook — Free guide

Python

Real Python — In-depth Python tutorials
Python Official Docs — Authoritative reference
FastAPI Docs — You know this, but review advanced topics

Behavioral

Tech Interview Handbook - Behavioral — Free guide
STAR Method Guide — 50 questions with framework

General

Tech Interview Handbook — All-in-one free resource
interviewing.io — Anonymous mock interviews
Pramp — Free peer mock interviews

If you’re short on time, start with guide-emergency-job-search-plan — it has a day-by-day plan for applying + prepping in parallel.

Otherwise, start with 01-dsa-and-coding.md and work your way through in order.