Summary
I interviewed for an SDE1 role at Tessell, completing DSA and System Design rounds successfully. However, I was rejected after the managerial round, with feedback indicating a need for stronger decision-making and cross-functional communication.
Full Experience
Round 1: DSA (Duration: 60 mins)
This was a DSA round focused mainly on Dynamic Programming and Bit Manipulation. There were 2 coding problems:
Problem 1 (DP):
Given an array of integers, find the number of ways to partition it into two subsets such that the difference between their sums is a given value diff.
Concepts used: Subset sum DP, memoization.
Problem 2 (Bit Manipulation):
Given an integer array, find the unique number that appears once while all others appear three times.
Concepts used: Bitwise operations, bit counting.
Both problems were medium to hard level. I was able to solve the DP problem completely and partially solve the bit manipulation one.
Round 2: System Design – Design Netflix-like Streaming Platform
This was a 60-minute video call with a senior engineer. The task was to design a high-level architecture for a video streaming platform (like Netflix).
Topics discussed:
- How users stream video efficiently at scale
- Handling content delivery across regions (CDN, edge caching)
- Database design for users, shows, history
- Upload and transcoding pipeline for new content
- Scaling: microservices, load balancing, and fault tolerance
- Handling spikes in traffic and user recommendations
I covered most areas decently. The interviewer was collaborative and guided me in areas where I lacked depth.
Round 3: Managerial + Technical Round
This round focused on past projects, ownership, and dealing with real-world tech challenges. Some behavioral + technical questions included:
- Explain a difficult bug you resolved under pressure.
- Describe a system you designed end-to-end.
- How do you prioritize tasks when deadlines conflict?
- What trade-offs did you face in your previous system architecture?
- How do you handle disagreements in a tech team?
Although I answered sincerely and explained my reasoning, I think I struggled to justify some architectural decisions and didn’t showcase leadership/ownership strongly. The interviewer seemed unconvinced about my decision-making clarity.
Round 4: Final Status
Unfortunately, I got a rejection after Round 3. Feedback mentioned I did well in DSA and System Design, but they were looking for someone with stronger decision-making and communication in cross-functional scenarios.
Interview Questions (8)
Given an array of integers, find the number of ways to partition it into two subsets such that the difference between their sums is a given value diff.
Given an integer array, find the unique number that appears once while all others appear three times.
Design a high-level architecture for a video streaming platform (like Netflix). Topics discussed included: How users stream video efficiently at scale, Handling content delivery across regions (CDN, edge caching), Database design for users, shows, history, Upload and transcoding pipeline for new content, Scaling: microservices, load balancing, and fault tolerance, Handling spikes in traffic and user recommendations.
Explain a difficult bug you resolved under pressure.
Describe a system you designed end-to-end.
How do you prioritize tasks when deadlines conflict?
What trade-offs did you face in your previous system architecture?
How do you handle disagreements in a tech team?
Summary
I recently interviewed with Tessell for a frontend developer role, completing several technical and behavioral rounds. Although I received a verbal offer, I ultimately declined it for a better opportunity that aligned with my long-term goals.
Full Experience
Hi everyone, I'm a frontend developer with over 1+ year of experience working with React, Next.js, and JavaScript. I recently had the opportunity to interview with Tessell, a startup I’ve always admired, and wanted to share my interview journey here on LeetCode Discuss to help or inspire others preparing for frontend roles.
🧩 Interview Rounds at Tessell
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Initial HR Screening The process kicked off with an HR call where we discussed basic details like current/expected CTC, notice period, and availability. It set the tone for what turned out to be a long yet well-structured process.
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Technical Round – JavaScript & React Focus This round went deep into JavaScript fundamentals and React concepts. Topics included:
Lifecycle methods
State management approaches (Redux, Context API)
Performance optimizations (memoization, lazy loading, etc.)
Best practices in component architecture
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DSA Round – Medium-Level Challenges The second round tested my algorithmic skills through JavaScript coding. Problems were medium level and tested my approach to clean and efficient code. This is where consistent LeetCode practice helped a lot.
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Engineering Manager Round – Tech + Behavioral This was a mix of system-level questions and behavioral discussion. I had to walk through:
Key decisions in past projects
Real-world optimizations and architecture choices
A hard-level DSA question on trees, 📌 One of the similar types of problems discussed was Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum https://leetcode.com/problems/binary-tree-maximum-path-sum/description/ – definitely worth practicing!
- Final HR Discussion After clearing all rounds, the HR shared a verbal offer. However, shortly after, I received another offer that aligned better with my long-term goals and recognized my value based on skill, not just current CTC.
✨ Reflections & Learnings Although I ultimately didn’t accept Tessell’s offer, I left the process with immense respect for their team and interview structure. It helped me grow technically and reaffirmed some key career truths:
🧠 Key Takeaways Know your worth: Your skills are more important than your current salary.
Stay interview-ready: Balance your DSA prep with real-world frontend knowledge.
Explore options: More offers = better clarity and confidence.
Communicate professionally: Whether it’s a yes or no, always respond with maturity.
Think long-term: Choose opportunities aligned with your values and growth path.
🙌 Final Thoughts This experience was a reminder that interviews are not just about getting an offer — they’re opportunities to reflect, improve, and clarify your goals. I'm grateful to Tessell for the chance, and who knows — our paths might cross again in the future.
Good luck to everyone preparing — keep learning, keep coding!
Interview Questions (1)
Preparation Tips
Consistent LeetCode practice helped me a lot with the DSA rounds.