If the hiring process uses Leetcode style questions, then yes, it's necessary. It's the game they play and if you want increase your chances to be hired, you ha

If the hiring process uses Leetcode style questions, then yes, it's necessary. It's the game they play and if you want increase your chances to be hired, you have to play by their rules. You have to weight those few hundred hours of hard work. You can prepare for FAANG interviews and earn 100k+/year or you can do your side project and earn ???/year plus your current job or you can improve your skills and resume and look for another non FAANG job that pays 100k+/year and doesn't use leetcode. Clearly you have prejudice against leetcode style process. To participate it's better that you be neutral or at least acknowledge that it's part of the game that you have to play. You don't have to like it, but if your mind think it's the worst thing in the world, it'll be much harder. I recommend you to up you linkedin profile and try to get some interviews around the world to get a feeling of what it's like. Do it without expectations, so that is doesn't stress you much.