DSA Crash Course [Part 4] - Is Prime Approach

In this lesson, Alvin explores the strategy to solving the following interview problem:

> Write a function, *is_prime*, that takes in a number as an argument. The function should return a boolean indicating whether or not the given number is prime.
>
> A prime number is a number that is only divisible by two distinct numbers: 1 and itself.
>
> For example, 7 is a prime because it is only divisible by 1 and 7. For example, 6 is not a prime because it is divisible by 1, 2, 3, and 6.
>
> You can assume that the input number is a positive integer.

```
is_prime(2) # -> True
```

```
is_prime(3) # -> True
```

```
is_prime(4) # -> False
```

```
is_prime(5) # -> True
```

```
is_prime(6) # -> False
```

```
is_prime(7) # -> True
```

```
is_prime(8) # -> False
```

```
is_prime(2017) # -> True
```

```
is_prime(2048) # -> False
```

If you need additional support taking these DSA skills and actually applying them, take [Alvin's](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/) *complete* data structures and algorithms course on [Structy](https://structy.net/?utm_source=taro). You can try out the concepts yourself in their interactive code editor and learn advanced DSA patterns like stack exhaustive recursion.

Use [this link to get 20% off](https://structy.net/purchase?promo_code=taro20) the entire Structy DSA learning experience.

Follow Alvin on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/>

Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer [Part 3] - The Key To Understanding Promotion

We're told our entire lives that the key to success is to work hard. While this is admittedly true for most professions, it's very much not the case when it comes to software where you need to work *smart* in order to get anything done, especially for promotion. This lesson teaches you:

- The key insight behind understanding what promotion truly means, especially at top companies
- Why you can't get promoted by just working longer hours and writing more code, especially at very senior levels
- A framework to understand what separates incredibly senior (L6+) engineers from the more junior ones
- What it means to think multiplicatively instead of individually, including an in-depth example

Excited about developing better product intuition after watching this lesson? Check this out: ["How to develop product sense as an engineer?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/w84sxyM805YOCokfvuQ8/how-to-develop-product-sense-as-an-engineer/)

Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer [Part 2] - You Can’t Job Hop To Success

A lot of software engineers give up way too easily when they're faced with substantial career resistance. You can't achieve that much genuine growth when you're constantly hopping around, and this reflects in both your level and compensation. This lesson teaches you:

- Why most engineers hit a wall when solely trying to job switch their way into higher levels, especially at senior and staff
- The defining trait of engineers who make it to incredibly senior engineering levels (Staff+)
- How to become a 10x engineer (i.e. Staff+ at a top company)
- Why it takes so long to truly settle into an organization and be able to demonstrate L6+ impact and behaviors

If you're interested in the 7 levels playlist, here it is: [Asking 7 Levels Of Engineers The Most Important Skill](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/TnJFvWcvpUvFWLFjpY7X/) (here's the [combined YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1pg5kI0VI4))

Check out this discussion about the costs of being [perceived of being a "job hopper."](Perception of being a \"job hopper\"?)

Why Onboarding Matters

This video discusses the importance of onboarding and how it can significantly impact your reputation and career growth. 

If you imagine a "**Trust Meter**" where 0 means you have no trust and 100 means absolute trust, your default score as the new engineer will be around 50. Existing employees will think you are smart and have good intentions, but you need to work hard to increase the score and unlock larger-scoped projects. This hard work begins in onboarding.

The other reason the initial months in the company are important is because the tech industry is changing increasingly rapidly. When the average tenure at a company is &lt; 2 years, you need to figure out how to fully ramp up in a fraction of that time. Even within the same company, you will likely switch teams multiple times. Re-orgs are so common!

By approaching onboarding with a proactive plan and a sense of urgency, you can set yourself up for success and build strong relationships quickly.

Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer [Part 6] - Embrace The Pain

A defining characteristic of mediocre software engineers is that they run away from problems in their code and avoid confronting hard problems in general. This lesson will teach you:

- Why (and how) you should embrace the pain if you truly want to write better code as a software engineer
- The process to follow to go from writing bad code to good code
- What it means to actually learn system design
- How to level up your technical understanding with an in-depth example from Alex's past about how he truly mastered a deep Android concept and applied that mastery to learn iOS development almost instantly

This Is Why Most Engineering Managers Are Terrible

Let's not mince words: Most engineering managers suck. But why is that? This video covers:

- Why the incentives don't align between engineering managers and engineers
- What the best tech companies like FAANG do to make their engineering managers not suck (i.e. make them align the incentives between management and ICs)
- How the absolute best engineering managers balance the responsibilities of leadership with the needs of their team in a healthy way

To learn more about the software engineering -&gt; engineering manager transition, check out our playlist: [\[Taro Top 10\] Software Engineer To Engineering Manager (IC -&gt; M Track)](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/oz0mnJvHHgM8NfVF7rgp/)

How To Negotiate A Raise At Your Current Job

Sometimes the goal isn’t to leave a job, but simply to be paid more for the work being done. Negotiating a raise internally is possible, but the dynamics are more complex due to limited leverage.

- **Internal raises are harder without leverage**: Simply asking for a raise based on merit often fails because the company knows most employees won’t go through the pain of interviewing and switching jobs.
- **Competing offers create leverage**: The most effective strategy is to secure a higher offer elsewhere and use it to negotiate a raise. This shows initiative and forces the employer to evaluate retention costs.
- **Company policy plays a role**: Some companies, like Facebook, may have policies against matching outside offers. Others, like Google, are more flexible and may respond aggressively to retain top talent, especially when the competing offer comes from a company perceived as a talent threat.
- **Raises typically come in equity**: When a raise is granted in response to a competing offer, the increase often comes in the form of additional stock (RSUs), rather than base salary.
- **This approach is a calculated risk**: Bringing a competing offer can trigger a raise, but it can also signal that an employee is willing to leave, which may affect internal perception. It should be done carefully and with genuine intent.

Write A Stellar Resume As A Software Engineer [Part 22] - Go Deeper: Follow Through

Download Alex's resume here: [Alexander Chiou Resume.docx](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NnAx2jYkRTMCQwbdDPPqSj1Fwxkahda-/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109380646850979301783&rtpof=true&sd=true)

Related courses:

- [**Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer**](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/)

Who Gets Cut In A Mass Tech Company Layoff?

After a layoff, some will be cut and the rest will survive. This begs the question: Who gets cut? There is a lot of misinformation about how these decisions are made, so this video goes over how this extremely painful process actually works.

Here are the core points:
- **Layoffs vary heavily based on company** - There is no standard when it comes to layoffs, and different companies value different things. *There is no such silver bullet that will protect you 100% from layoffs.*
- Potential layoff factors (remember, there are exceptions to all of these):
  - **Performance** - High-performers will be preserved over low-performers
  - **Org priority** - Higher revenue orgs will be preserved over loss makers
  - **Seniority** - Senior engineers will be preserved over more junior engineers
  - **Tenure** - Engineers with deep domain expertise will be preserved over newbies who are still learning the ropes
- **For most people, layoffs are effectively random** - At the end of the day, layoffs are almost always made by executives with very incomplete information. You can be a consistent high-performing software engineer who is a 10-year company veteran and still get cut. Do your best and keep your expectations realistic.

Related resources:
- ["How to survive potential layoffs?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/ydZFpJz0x8wKUIfd8E1r/how-to-survive-potential-layoffs/)
- ["Are layoffs random or can I do something to prevent getting laid off?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/TIX9Mox7KAPJg6ZUujpg/are-layoffs-random-or-can-i-do-something-to-prevent-getting-laid-off/)

Avoid This Commonly Held Naive Perception Of Managers

15 SWE Years In 1.5 Hours [Part 1] - Rahul's Story

The best way to grow is to make mistakes, and [Rahul Pandey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpandey1234/) is proud to say that he's made a lot of them (and learned a ton along the way). That's why this course exists - Rahul is here to teach you everything he's learned throughout his \~15 years of struggle, so you don't make the same mistakes he did.

In this lesson, Rahul covers:

- His prestigious background
- Why patience is key to actually learning and growing as a software engineer
- The core components behind a successful engineering career

Master The Behavioral Interview [Part 2] - You're (Probably) Sleeping On Behavioral

Grinding LeetCode endlessly makes no sense and will not get you a great software engineer job, especially in a bad market. So why does it makes no sense? Because data structures and algorithms (DSA) rounds are far from the most important. This lesson teaches you: 

- The reason why companies weigh behavioral interviews so heavily (usually more than candidates realize)
- Why behavioral interviews are actually the most important interview type
- How engineers waste the precious time they have in behavioral interviews

Ace Your Tech Interview As A Software Engineer [Part 4] - The #1 Trait For Interview Success

Software engineers overwhelmingly blame the wrong thing when it comes to why they aren't landing job offers, particularly their own lack of skill. This lesson teaches you:

- What the actual #1 trait among successful job searchers is
- How to build up your personal grit
- Why most software engineers have the wrong perspective post-interview and are unable to fully learn from their failures
- The success metric you should be weighing yourself against as you progress through the job search, viewing everything as more of a spectrum instead of a binary state

To go deeper into developing your grit and boosting your productivity, watch this video: [2 Ways To 100x Your Productivity That Nobody Does](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/RXEca9zfyZG0pl015att/2-ways-to-100x-your-productivity-that-nobody-does/?playlistId=JNCZ1vbRF3NwsOQCqblt)

Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer [Part 27] - Continue The Learning Journey

Watching one course is not going to automatically make you master of code quality (or anything really). To really learn these concepts and burn them into your mind, you need to continue the learning journey. What's next:

- If you have mastered code quality, then here's a great skill for you to move on to: [\[Masterclass\] How To Become A Debugging Master And Fix Issues Faster](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/ioR6WzamAIUTpySLAr7o/masterclass-how-to-become-a-debugging-master-and-fix-issues-faster/)
- Apply your coding skills to open source! [Become An Open Source Master](https://www.jointaro.com/course/become-an-open-source-master/)

[Case Study] How Engineers Unlock Huge Impact With Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This was a joint presentation from engineers who have been using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become significantly more productive. The result is fewer repetitive tasks, fewer bugs, and more impact. The AI transformation is not some future technology that we are anticipating -- **it's happening now**. ChatGPT is the fastest application ever to reach 100M monthly active users.

We can broadly categorize AI tools into 2 buckets (generative vs analysis). Think about what is most helpful for your job and dig into other tools in that domain.

We focus primarily on productivity benefits from conversational agents like ChatGPT, Bard, and Anthropic. **The first response is usually generic and unhelpful, but simple tricks can make the output significantly more valuable**. Sample prompts: *"How can I send a text message in a Rails app with Twilio?"* and *"How can I show a div in the screen after 15 seconds of inactivity on a webpage?"*

Top 5 prompt engineering tips for Software Engineers: 
1. Ask ChatGPT to list its steps, work, or sources
2. Split your prompt into clear sections
3. Use “unique”, “unconventional”, and “creative” to get better responses
4. Make ChatGPT roleplay
5. Give ChatGPT examples of correct inputs and outputs

Some sample prompts from Jordan's [summary doc](https://www.notion.so/jordancutler/GPT-prompts-90179f5fc49440c6bffaeb94e5cfcb4c?pvs=4): 
- **[Feedback]** "Tell me 5 reasons this feature won’t work as intended"
- **[Engineering]** "Given the following code, write a comprehensive test suite in X testing library"
- **[Learning]** "Explain { topic } as if I am a principal software engineer with 10+ years of experience. Go into deep technical detail and explain how it works under the hood"
- **[Meetings]** "I’m a junior software engineer at a Series A tech company. Can you come up with 10 topics for me to talk with my manager about in our 1-1?"

Here are the top paid tools that the speakers use: 
- [Github Copilot](https://github.com/features/copilot) - $10/month
- [ChatGPT Plus](https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt-plus) - $20/month
- [Notion AI](https://www.notion.so/product/ai) - $10/month

Speakers:
- [Donn Felker](https://twitter.com/donnfelker)
- [Jordan Cutler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordancutler1/)
- [Mike Alnakhaleh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/malik-mike-a-32b63818b/)

Related resources on Taro:
- ["How to AI proof your career?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/3xg5SvXnyTQ0mhNLfbK1/how-to-ai-proof-your-career/)
- ["Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in side projects?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/20UiCYH3QwkWkvGTrFsY/using-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-side-projects/)
- ["ChatGPT plugins to your IDE - How to prepare?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/ZqQiiaPjpzYQ8XKPOQZK/chatgpt-plugins-to-your-ide-how-to-prepare/)
- [The slides for this presentation](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lfMP8qlSix6IDNAUbyraamLgtIHwkxbbQgbpgcBqr2c/edit?usp=sharing)

[Masterclass] How To Survive Tech Industry Layoffs

Layoffs: They will always be a part of the tech industry. 2022 was the first year of massive tech layoffs in the post-covid economy, and 2023 is sure to bear several more. Not even FAANG is safe with Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon all having layoffs in 2022.

There were a ton of important points from this masterclass, so here's our Top 5 (in no particular order):
- **Layoffs are effectively random for almost everyone** - Individual contributors (ICs) and more front-line managers are generally not privy to what happens behind the scenes with cut decisions. You can be a well-connected high-performer in a healthy revenue-generating org and still be laid off. It's crucial to recognize this reality and be at peace with it.
- **Stop freaking out** - Ironically, the worst way to deal with layoffs is to worry constantly and drastically alter your behavior to optimize for them. It's not healthy to go to places like Blind regularly to stay "up-to-date" with layoffs. The best way to deal with layoffs is to continue living your life as normal and double down on responsible software engineer behaviors. For more context on what those behaviors our, read this discussion: ["What are software engineering fundamentals?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/3VNPK7wol76s89EkgFeW/what-are-software-engineering-fundamentals/)
- **Be deliberate with your performance review** - So many software engineers, junior ones in particular, assume that if they do good work and don't see any red flags, they'll get a good performance rating. This is very much not the case, especially at high-performance tech companies like FAANG. Maintain a transparent dialog about your performance with your manager and create a concrete growth plan. Here's our masterclass to help with that: [[Masterclass] How To Navigate Your Performance Review In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/b0B8uqIAUnBLE10jJHJG/masterclass-how-to-navigate-your-performance-review-in-tech/)
- **Build a stellar, wide professional network** - It is more important than ever to build meaningful, high-quality relationships in the workplace. Tech is an inherently collaborative space: You need a multitude of connections to help you grow, vouch for you in performance review, and provide warm referrals for your next opportunity if you are laid off. If you want to deepen your network, watch this: [[Masterclass] How To Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/tyaPFMXPoz2pmzB7OVzt/masterclass-how-to-build-deep-relationships-quickly-in-tech/)
- **Getting laid off isn't the end of the world** - There's nothing wrong with you if you're cut during a layoff. Don't dwell on how you messed up or what you could have better to avoid the layoff: Focus on your next step. The silver lining is that getting laid off opens the door to your next opportunity and likely comes with some time in the form of a severance package to allow you to seriously think about your future. To optimize your next move, check out: [[Masterclass] How To Choose A Good Company And Team As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/0WEmTNZOMIh8xAdfO3JH/masterclass-how-to-choose-a-good-company-and-team-as-a-software-engineer/)

Related resources:
- ["How to survive potential layoffs?"](https://link.jointaro.com/zGwioWXPLe8xhuA89)
- ["What are the signs of an impending layoff in an organisation that can help an employee prepare themselves better?"](https://link.jointaro.com/tkUnst8KKBdktPQq5)
- ["Staying motivated among lay-offs?"](https://link.jointaro.com/g9462CQrqy1KGtqR8)
- [Presentation Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Uyf04xDGTweN0ija_Z3nr9NZ_WsoDikh_54LR5AfZjU/)

Why Is Performance Review Important And How Does It Work?

- In the age of tech layoffs in particular, it is crucial to do well in performance review consistently. A lot of companies stack rank as well, where every performance review cycle, 5-15% of the lowest performing engineers are cut.
- 4 core steps of performance review:
  - Understand the yardstick (ratings)
  - Understand the process (how your rating is generated)
  - Prepare for success (come up with a plan)
  - Execute (go through the cycle and hit the calibration process at the end)

The Key Insight Behind Negotiation

Negotiation is fundamentally about leverage, and the strongest leverage comes from being able to walk away. Timing, preparation, and understanding the multifaceted nature of compensation are key to negotiating effectively.

- **Leverage is built through optionality**: The ability to walk away—especially when holding multiple offers—provides the greatest negotiating power. Desperation weakens a candidate’s position.
- **Don’t discuss compensation too early**: Deflect pre-interview compensation questions by focusing on mutual fit. Only begin negotiating after a formal offer is made.
- **Confirmed offers reflect high value**: By the time a company extends an offer, they've invested significant time and resources. With a low conversion rate from interviews to offers, candidates who make it to the offer stage are rare and valuable.
- **Companies don’t rescind offers for negotiating**: Especially in big tech, it’s extremely rare for a company to withdraw an offer just because a candidate is negotiating for better terms.
- **Compensation has multiple levers**: Salary, equity, and sign-on bonuses are negotiable components. Candidates can prioritize based on their risk profile and financial goals, trading one component for gains in another.

Voicing Your Problems And Frustrations Productively

Which of these are important things to remember as you are voicing your problems and frustrations?

Is the following a good way to voice a problem: I really hate how John thinks about the product. His vision does not make sense, and it will drag down the team. You can tell that he does not have enough experience.

"I really hate how John thinks about the product. His vision does not make sense, and it will drag down the team. You can tell that he does not have enough experience." - What is wrong with how this frustration is presented?

Effective communication of concerns in a one-on-one, especially with a manager, hinges on emotional intelligence and thoughtful phrasing. Expressing discontent is important, but how it’s framed can determine whether it leads to meaningful change or defensiveness.

- **Words and tone matter deeply**: It’s not about suppressing feelings, but about communicating them in a way that leads to constructive outcomes. Saying “This is holding me back” is more impactful than “I hate this person/project/org.”
- **Start with your experience**: Begin by describing how a situation makes *you* feel and the impact it's having on your work. This avoids sounding accusatory and centers the conversation on outcomes.
- **Avoid blaming language**: Statements that target others personally are rarely received well. Instead, focus on issues and processes rather than individuals.
- **Propose solutions thoughtfully**: Even if unsure, suggesting possible paths forward shows initiative. Phrasing like “One thing I was thinking about…” or “Could we try…” keeps the conversation collaborative and open-ended.
- **Frame feedback to enable support**: Managers are more able to help when you present challenges clearly and offer context. Productive expression of frustration builds trust and often leads to faster resolution.

By being candid *and* constructive, you increase the likelihood of being heard, supported, and ultimately driving the change you seek.

Write A Stellar Resume As A Software Engineer [Part 1] - How This Course Works

It doesn't matter if you have mastered 500 LeetCode problems if your resume isn't even good enough to get you the interview to begin with. Writing a stellar resume is one of the absolute highest-leverage things you can do as an engineer yet so many mess it up, making basic mistakes. With this course, you will stop making those mistakes. Here are the core parts of the lesson:

- Your instructor [Alex Chiou](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-chiou/) walks you through his extensive 10+ year Silicon Valley background with rapid career advancement, ending up as a high-performing tech lead making $750k at Robinhood. More importantly, he goes through how he reviewed (and rejected) 1,000+ resumes as he was extensively involved in the hiring loop of all of his prior companies.
- You'll understand why writing a stellar resume is actually quite easy, but the internet makes it hard due to misinformation
- We walk you through the course objectives. By the end of the course, you will understand:
  - 💡 Truly understand the **principles** behind a stellar resume
  - 🗑️ Avoid the common **traps** that make resumes suck
  - 💯 Get **maximum credit** by best framing your experience
  - 📊 Make the right resume based on your **level**
  - 🤔 Know what to do if your resume **isn’t enough**

Tech Career Growth Videos

Our instructional videos provide software engineers with insights needed for career growth. Masterclasses go incredibly in-depth on a specific tech topic while case studies are real examples from established engineering leaders.