I disagree that coding challenges are stupid, I actually find them having some of the best signal-to-noise ratio of any step in the interview. Maybe it depends

I disagree that coding challenges are stupid, I actually find them having some of the best signal-to-noise ratio of any step in the interview. Maybe it depends a lot on what type of coding problem it is? One important aspect of doing the coding interview well is to make it generic enough and not look for a specific exact solution, so things like "write a function for a movie theater ticket dispenser" vs "write the most efficient string reversal" function. I am also totally fine if a candidate needs to look something up, but I don't think it is unreasonable to expect candidates to be able to work though a general coding exercise without needing to stop and google things frequently. Especially if they can pick their own preferred language!