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Summary
I interviewed for an SDE 2 position at Zepto in August 2024, which consisted of four rounds focusing on Data Structures & Algorithms, Low-Level Design, a Hiring Manager discussion, and HR. I successfully received an offer.
Full Experience
I appeared for interviews at Zepto for an SDE 2 position in August 2024. The entire process comprised four rounds, primarily focusing on Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA) and Low-Level Design (LLD).
Round 1: (DSA)
This round had two questions, and the interviewer emphasized time and space complexity. I was able to solve both questions optimally, directly jumping to the most efficient solutions and skipping brute-force approaches. The interviewer seemed satisfied and gave positive feedback.
Round 2: (LLD)
This round began with a comprehensive LLD question, followed by concepts of authentication and design patterns. I started by proposing a DB design, and once that was accepted, I wrote APIs for adding products to a cart and placing orders, ensuring proper error handling and edge case management. We further discussed order prioritization and other system aspects. For authentication, I suggested JWT tokens and elaborated on their working. Regarding design patterns, I proposed Factory, Builder, and Strategy patterns. The interviewer deep-dived into the Factory Pattern, asking me to implement payment processors and a factory class in Java for different payment methods. This round lasted about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and the interviewer was satisfied.
Round 3: (Hiring Manager)
This round included one LLD question, one DSA problem, a discussion about my previous projects, and some behavioral questions. For the LLD problem, I provided a detailed DB design and discussed decoupling and managing shared vs. personal calendars. The DSA question involved inserting nodes into a sorted Circular Linked List, for which I presented an optimal O(n) solution. I also shared my experiences regarding favorite features implemented in previous roles, conflict resolution, and handling work pressure under tight deadlines. The interviewer seemed satisfied throughout.
Round 4: (HR)
This round was about 20 minutes long. The HR person mostly discussed Zepto's working culture and addressed any questions I had.
Results: I was selected! I received the offer call the very next day.
Interview Questions (7)
Design a system for managing customer orders and deliveries in a quick commerce platform. Specifically, I needed to cover:
- How to structure the system for customer orders, inventory, and deliveries.
- How to design for order prioritization, especially during peak times.
- How to handle various payment methods (credit cards, digital wallets, cash on delivery).
I was asked how to implement authentication for the APIs designed in the previous question, along with follow-up questions on JWT tokens.
The interviewer asked about suitable design patterns for the quick commerce platform. I was specifically asked to implement a Factory Pattern for payment processing.
Design an application similar to Google Calendar, covering features such as:
- User meeting creation.
- Scheduling events/meetings with title, description, start/end time, location, and participants.
- Adding participants and notifying them.
- Sending notifications for upcoming meetings.
- Accepting/declining invitations.
The problem was to insert new nodes into a Circular Linked List (CLL) while maintaining its sorted order.
Preparation Tips
I prepared by practicing standard LeetCode Data Structures & Algorithms problems, which helped me solve the coding questions efficiently. For System Design and Low-Level Design, I focused on common design patterns, authentication mechanisms, and database schema design principles, which were crucial for the LLD and HM rounds.