4 ms·

>Classic mistake of overthinking it and failing to realize what interviewer really wants - which is to make sure the candidate can actually write code, like at

by s_dev 2y ago

>Classic mistake of overthinking it and failing to realize what interviewer really wants - which is to make sure the candidate can actually write code, like at all. What about the lad who develops homebrew who got rejected from Google because he wasn't able to invert a binary tree on the spot? Many Googlers use his software internally and externally. If the purpose of the interview is to make sure he can code why did he fail? https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-logic-behind-Google-rejecting-Max-Howell-the-author-of-Homebrew-for-not-being-able-to-invert-a-binary-tree/answer/Max-Howell?share=100e0bb6&srid=unBJ9 https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-logic-behind-Google-rejectin... He seems to have a great attitude and would fit right in but it's clear Google is optimising to keep people out rather than find great software Devs.

shawabawa3 2y ago
Why does "Many Googlers use his software internally and externally" mean he would be a good hire for Google? From all his public complaining about failing an interview it seems Google did the right thing not hiring him, he has a massive ego and it's very possible that "writing homebrew" is less useful to google than "inverting a binary tree"
- sevagh 2y ago
  It means that he created a tool, with his skills and capabilities, that is a force multiplier for other Google engineers. This is a straight up undeniable example that his capabilities _already_ brought value to Google and their stacked deck of genius non-egostical binary tree inverters. There's not a more pragmatic measure of whether somebody can code than a track record of a successful code project used by other coders.
- s_dev 2y ago
  Here's another way of phrasing it -- if Linus Torvalds went for an interview with Google would he have to invert a binary tree and if he failed to do so (maybe he misconstrues the question and messes up or him being Linus and just refusing) would that be a good reason to reject him? Linus also can be equally or far more egotistical than Max Howell.
  - shawabawa3 2y ago
    I find the idea that just because someone is an excellent software engineer they are therefore guaranteed to be a good fit for a particular role at Google a bit weird I'd say that if Linus applied to be a software engineer at Google they should be prepared to invert binary trees or do $generic_leetcode type things because that's the expectation for that role If they applied to be Google Fellow or some other lofty position then I wouldn't expect them to need to do any coding at all in the interview
    - s_dev 2y ago
      >If they applied to be Google Fellow or some other lofty position then I wouldn't expect them to need to do any coding at all in the interview So the higher the role in Google the less the requirements?
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
dilyevsky 2y ago
You should really read your own link - the part where he admits he made that whole story up. Im gonna guess failing some basic coding is not what tanked him. He still thinks they owe him the job though because he’s kinda famous and did a popular project in a language that Google doesn’t use, so that’s cute. I also dont see how this one anecdote (even if it was true) invalidates anything I said above. You’re gonna have false negatives in any system you chose unless you just wave everyone in
- s_dev 2y ago
  >You should really read your own link - the part where he admits he made that whole story up. Where does it say that?
pseudalopex 2y ago
Not even Max Howell thinks Max Howell has a great attitude. He's often a dick in his own words. Maybe Google would have found a different job for him if he wasn't. He said 90% of Google engineers used Homebrew. Google engineers said it wasn't true.[1] He said Homebrew using OS libraries saved a lot of pain. He presented it as an example of why Google should have hired him. Actually it caused enough pain Homebrew stopped it. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23844936 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23844936

by s_dev 2y ago

shawabawa3 2y ago

Why does "Many Googlers use his software internally and externally" mean he would be a good hire for Google? From all his public complaining about failing an interview it seems Google did the right thing not hiring him, he has a massive ego and it's very possible that "writing homebrew" is less useful to google than "inverting a binary tree"

sevagh 2y ago
It means that he created a tool, with his skills and capabilities, that is a force multiplier for other Google engineers. This is a straight up undeniable example that his capabilities _already_ brought value to Google and their stacked deck of genius non-egostical binary tree inverters. There's not a more pragmatic measure of whether somebody can code than a track record of a successful code project used by other coders.
s_dev 2y ago
Here's another way of phrasing it -- if Linus Torvalds went for an interview with Google would he have to invert a binary tree and if he failed to do so (maybe he misconstrues the question and messes up or him being Linus and just refusing) would that be a good reason to reject him? Linus also can be equally or far more egotistical than Max Howell.
- shawabawa3 2y ago
  I find the idea that just because someone is an excellent software engineer they are therefore guaranteed to be a good fit for a particular role at Google a bit weird I'd say that if Linus applied to be a software engineer at Google they should be prepared to invert binary trees or do $generic_leetcode type things because that's the expectation for that role If they applied to be Google Fellow or some other lofty position then I wouldn't expect them to need to do any coding at all in the interview
  - s_dev 2y ago
    >If they applied to be Google Fellow or some other lofty position then I wouldn't expect them to need to do any coding at all in the interview So the higher the role in Google the less the requirements?
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]

dilyevsky 2y ago

You should really read your own link - the part where he admits he made that whole story up. Im gonna guess failing some basic coding is not what tanked him. He still thinks they owe him the job though because he’s kinda famous and did a popular project in a language that Google doesn’t use, so that’s cute. I also dont see how this one anecdote (even if it was true) invalidates anything I said above. You’re gonna have false negatives in any system you chose unless you just wave everyone in

s_dev 2y ago
>You should really read your own link - the part where he admits he made that whole story up. Where does it say that?

pseudalopex 2y ago

Not even Max Howell thinks Max Howell has a great attitude. He's often a dick in his own words. Maybe Google would have found a different job for him if he wasn't. He said 90% of Google engineers used Homebrew. Google engineers said it wasn't true.[1] He said Homebrew using OS libraries saved a lot of pain. He presented it as an example of why Google should have hired him. Actually it caused enough pain Homebrew stopped it. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23844936 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23844936