I'm one of those people who dreads implementing even basic code like "visit every node in this binary tree" while someone watches me. I never have to do that on

I'm one of those people who dreads implementing even basic code like "visit every node in this binary tree" while someone watches me. I never have to do that on the job. I never had to do it in school. I hate having to do it in an interview. OTOH, if you give me a challenge to implement a solution for a problem and let me work on it on my own, I often do really well. I'd rather spend 3 hours on a harder problem in a comfortable environment than 20 minutes in a live coding environment with someone watching. I understand that some people are much happier with fast, live coding exercises. I'm fine with that; I don't think that there's only one way to find good candidates. I think that the difference between take-home problems and live coding is akin to the difference between being able to write a thoughtful essay and extemporaneous public speaking. I try to avoid the latter. And I also understand that some particularly selective employers may want someone who can extemporize essay-quality material on the spot. That's ok too. I recognize my limits. I'm not going to chase those positions. (Not that Fizzbuzz takes anyone hours.)