Leetcode Problem Solving Strategies

Here’s how I use NeetCode to prepare for technical interviews: ➡️ Being good at LeetCode looks like being able to see a new problem and recognize how it fits into the pattern (problem solving strategies, data structures, use cases) of previous problems you’ve seen. The benefit of using NeetCode instead of just doing random LeetCode problems is that it allows you to develop this pattern recognition. ➡️ I mainly use the “Roadmap” tab, which breaks down 150 LeetCode problems (the NeetCode 150) by topic area. I just follow the tree from top to bottom. ➡️ I got the advice to finish one topic completely before moving onto the next one, so that’s what I do. This goes back to pattern recognition: doing the same type of problem over and over will allow you to pick up on the tools and ways of thinking you keep revisiting in order to solve the problem type. It’s like if an electrician fixes 5 lightbulbs in a row, sooner or later they don't need to wonder what tool they should be using. They will reach for their wrench as soon as they need to fix a 6th lightbulb. ➡️ I set a stopwatch and begin solving the problem. If I’m not able to figure it out after 30-45 minutes, I stop and watch the solution videos. Sometimes I just need to watch the conceptual part of the video and then I’m able to figure out what I was missing, but sometimes I have to watch the whole video and literally copy the NeetCode solution. ➡️ After I finish this process, I go to my tracker and note what happened. I list down the following information: 1️⃣ The problem number & type. 2️⃣ How hard I thought the problem was on a scale of 1 (easy money) to 10 (screaming, crying, throwing up). (If the score is above a 6, then I make a note to revisit the problem.) 3️⃣ How much time I spent working on the problem. 4️⃣ What general steps I took to solve the problem and any patterns I recognized between problems. 5️⃣ Any other lessons and notes I took away from the problem (i.e. errors I ran into, documentation I forgot and had to search up.) I definitely didn’t do all of these things every day. Sometimes I only tried the problem for 10 minutes before watching the solution video. Sometimes I stopped halfway on a problem and picked it back up the next day. It’s amazing what sleeping on a problem can do. What’s the best advice you’ve heard around getting good at LeetCode problems? That’s all for now— ~aminah. —— If you got value from this post, consider following and republishing! 🫶🏾

I solved 400+ LeetCode problems consistently. Still got stuck in interviews midway. Why? Because I didn’t study patterns, I studied just problems. If you're grinding for tech interviews at FAANG or top startups, don’t just brute-force your way through LeetCode. I wasted months before realizing this truth: every top company tests a repeatable set of patterns. Here’s what helped me actually get better and get tech interviews: ✅ Salesforce = hashmap, heap, string manipulation, and recursion. Expect edge cases and real-world data constraints. I used this company-tagged problem list to spot repeated trends.  ✅ Google = loves recursion and trees. Think: backtracking, permutations, and k-ary structures. This LeetCode list helped me master their common types. ✅ Amazon = sliding windows, greedy, and 2 pointers. They test for speed and optimization. Use this Grokking course to drill patterns like sliding window and merge intervals until they’re second nature. ✅ Meta = graphs and BFS/DFS variants. Trust me, you can’t fake graph intuition. NeetCode’s graph sheet was a game-changer for me. ✅ Uber = dynamic programming, interval scheduling, and graphs. They care about your ability to model real-world systems. Practice problems involving route planning, time optimization, and caching logic. The Lesson I learned here? The ultimate shortcut is knowing which coding patterns to master for which company. Check out my DSA Handbook here: https://lnkd.in/eyu9rBn3 Save this post so you’re not solving random LeetCode problems before your next big interview. Tag a friend who’s deep into the coding interview prep mode. Follow Tharun Kumar Reddy Polu for targeted, real-world strategies to land top tech roles. #LeetCode #FAANG #DSA #TechInterviewTips #SoftwareEngineering #Mentorship

Stop memorizing Leetcode. Start mastering patterns. If you’ve ever felt like you forgot everything the moment the interview started, you’re not alone. Most candidates grind hundreds of Leetcode questions.But during real interviews, they still blank out. Here’s why: You memorized answers. You didn’t learn patterns. The best coders I know: - Recognize that solving Leetcode is an entirely new skill that needs to be honed, and very different from coding in the real world. - Solve fewer Leetcode problems, but spend more time understanding each one - Keep a running list of patterns: sliding window, backtracking, binary search, etc. - Revisit failed problems weekly until they can explain them out loud Here’s what helped me improve fast: - Neetcode’s Roadmap – structured problem types by pattern - Blind 75 List – fewer, high-yield problems - Codeforces Virtual Contests – for timed practice under pressure You don’t need to solve 1000+ questions. You need to understand why each one works. Day 13 of #30DaysOfCareerGrowth #techinterviews #leetcode #codinginterview #techcareers

𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. LeetCode has around 3K problems. With this huge set of problems, the biggest challenge is where to start or what to focus on. I have helped many engineers to prepare for their interviews. After talking to many developers who recently went through interviews and keeping the LeetCode problems distribution in mind, I came up with the top 7 coding patterns with the highest ROI. To prepare smartly, you should not ignore these patterns. Here is the list: 💠Two Pointers 💠Sliding Window 💠Depth-First Search & Breadth-First Search 💠Binary Search 💠Interval Merge 💠Recursion/Backtracking Each pattern offers a strategic approach for understanding and solving a wide array of coding problems. These patterns are the keystones that will enable you to recognize problem types and apply familiar solutions, saving you precious time and mental energy during high-stakes interviews. Ref: 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 - https://lnkd.in/g6ApdjVW