I don't understand why you're trying to make this argument. You said: > being good at writing good production algorithms certainly have some overlap... but it

I don't understand why you're trying to make this argument. You said: > being good at writing good production algorithms certainly have some overlap... but it's not very large I agreed with you, and noted that this specific case is an exception: > Except in this particular example, where someone managed to write a quadratic algorithm for arranging icons. It seems to me like you're trying to take the most extreme position that's available in this discussion: you're trying to claim that being good at optimizing algorithmic time complexity ("good at leetcode") does not help someone at optimizing algorithmic time complexity in production, because there's some kind of mythical distinction between "throwaway code" and "production code". That distinction is not relevant here. Someone who is good at optimizing algorithmic time complexity in throwaway code is certainly good at optimizing algorithmic time complexity in production code. Just like someone who is good at riding horses is also good at riding horses on a sunny day. Or someone who is good at painting with acrylic is also good at painting with watercolors, if you compare to another person who doesn't have any experience painting.