Razorpay | Lead Software Engin - Razorpay

Summary

I successfully interviewed for the Lead Software Engineer role at RazorPay in Bangalore, securing an offer after a comprehensive process that included system design, machine coding, and leadership discussions.

Full Experience

I applied for the Lead Software Engineer role at RazorPay via LinkedIn at the end of August and received an interview call approximately one week later. With about 6 years of experience and a Tier 1 education, I come from a product-based startup where I was a core team member, deeply familiar with all systems.

Round 1: System Design (45 mins)

My first round was a system design interview where I was asked to design a job scheduler. Despite it being my initial system design interview, I felt I performed quite well, and the verdict was a 'Hire'.

Round 2: Machine Coding (2 hours)

This round focused on machine coding, requiring me to design a Load Balancer. It was specified to be a REST application with several endpoints for managing configurations, such as adding/removing backend servers, updating timeouts, and healthcheck endpoints. Beyond these config APIs, all other routes needed to be load balanced and directed to real (mocked online) backend servers. The expectation was a fully working, extensible code capable of handling dynamic config changes and various algorithms. I was permitted to use online resources but had to avoid direct code generation or copy-pasting. I nearly completed the working code, though I couldn't demonstrate actual online requests due to restrictions on my company laptop. I received a 'Hire' verdict.

Round 3: System Design + LLD (45 mins)

The third round combined System Design and Low-Level Design. The task was to design Google Docs with a focus on Access Control Lists (ACL). The discussion heavily centered on storage solutions, database schema, and the actual implementation of synchronization. I again received a 'Hire' verdict.

Round 4: Hiring Manager (30 mins)

This round with the Hiring Manager primarily focused on my current role, responsibilities, and my expectations for a new position.

Round 5 & 6: Talent Acquisition + HR (30 mins)

The final rounds involved discussions with Talent Acquisition and HR, similarly focusing on my current role and my career expectations.

I received an offer approximately 2.5 weeks after my last interview. Compensation details were shared separately.

Interview Questions (3)

Design Job Scheduler

System Design

Design a system for a job scheduler. This was my first system design interview, and I felt I performed pretty well.

Design Load Balancer (Machine Coding)

Data Structures & Algorithms

The task was to design a load balancer as a REST application. It needed endpoints to manage configurations such as adding/removing backend servers, updating timeouts, and healthcheck endpoints. All other routes were expected to be load balanced and sent to real (online mocked) backend servers. The expectation was a fully working code that was extensible for dynamic config changes and various algorithms. I was allowed to refer to online resources but had to avoid generating or directly copy-pasting code.

Design Google Docs with ACL

System Design

The discussion focused on designing Google Docs, specifically emphasizing storage mechanisms, database schema, and the actual implementation of synchronization, along with Access Control Lists (ACL).

Preparation Tips

My preparation was not extensive, as I began job hunting shortly after news of my company's situation (RMG news) emerged. Being a member of the core team helped me significantly. I spent about one week on Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA), focusing on topics frequently asked in Google's last six months of interviews. For system design, I scanned major concepts on the ByteByteGo website. I also prepared for Low-Level Design (LLD) and machine coding using resources from CodeWithAryan.

RazorPay | Lead Software Engineer | Bangalore