System Design Interview Prep with a Staff Engineer

About this experience

Arjun has interviewed hundreds of engineering candidates. This in-person session at a co-working space runs like the real loop. He starts with how system design interviews are scored at large companies and the framework he wants candidates to follow: requirements, estimates, high-level design, deep dive and trade-offs.

Then you do two timed mock interviews at a whiteboard, one classic prompt and one chosen for your target level. After each one he gives specific written feedback on structure, communication and technical depth, and shows how a strong answer would have handled the parts you missed.

Your day

1. 10:00 AM

   How you are scored

   Interview rubrics by level and a repeatable framework for any prompt.

   30 min

2. 10:30 AM

   Mock interview one

   A 45-minute timed interview at the whiteboard.

   45 min

3. 11:15 AM

   Feedback

   Detailed notes on structure, trade-offs and communication.

   30 min

4. 11:45 AM

   Mock interview two

   A second prompt matched to your target level.

   45 min

5. 12:30 PM

   Feedback and study plan

   Written feedback and a two-week study plan.

What’s included

• Two mock interviews with written feedback
• Photos of your whiteboard designs
• Personal two-week study plan

Good to know

• Held in person at a co-working space in Seattle, not inside any employer’s office.
• Best for engineers with a few years of experience preparing for mid-level or senior interviews.
• No real interview questions from any employer are shared.

Your curator

Arjun Mehta14 years in backend and distributed systems

Arjun Mehta has spent his career on backend infrastructure at large tech companies, most recently leading the storage layer for a service used by millions of people. He has written and reviewed dozens of system design documents. He mentors engineers moving from senior to staff level.