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System Design

How to Plan a 45 Minute System Design Interview

Have a system design interview for your next role? Use the time to clarify the problem, sketch an approach and explain the choices you make.

Start by agreeing on the problem and its limits. Sketch a design you can explain, then use the remaining time to discuss the parts that need closer attention. Treat the timing below as a practice plan rather than a rule for every interview.

A Practice Schedule

0 to 5 minutes: scope and constraints. 5 to 15 minutes: high level design. 15 to 30 minutes: deep dives. 30 to 40 minutes: bottlenecks and scaling. 40 to 45 minutes: tradeoffs and recap.

Explain Your Choices

Explain why you made each important choice. Ask when a requirement is unclear and describe what you would change if the traffic, budget or reliability needs were different.