> The people who do manage to crack these rounds are not necessarily good at programming either because the time they spent doing competitive programming stuff

> The people who do manage to crack these rounds are not necessarily good at programming either because the time they spent doing competitive programming stuff should have been spent learning to build actual things. I disagree with this, with a disclaimer that I enjoyed competitive programming since before I knew of leetcode's existence. That said, salaries for SWEs are increasingly becoming bimodal. You can have a fulfilling career without having to do Leetcode-style interviews. Or you can have a go at grinding Leetcode for a few weeks and have a higher salary for the rest od your career - a much greater RoI than a 4-year degree, IMO. Framed differently: would you grind leetcode for $100,000?[1] How about for $100,000 every year going forward? There are no wrong answers, for some, the answer is "no", and they have my respect. 1. Assuming you're in the US and aiming for FAANG/FAANG-adjucent employers; adjust this figure for your circumstances.