DSA Crash Course [Part 37] - Binary Tree Intro Lecture

In this lecture, Alvin explains the basic structure of a binary tree.

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/>

Top System Design Interview Mistakes [Part 13] - Identifying Key Issues

In the final segment of the system design series, we focus on the importance of driving the design of your system during interviews. In this video, we cover how to identify key issues. Here's the video's core points:

- Avoid following a rigid structure. For example, don't just jump into a data model or architectural diagram without considering the unique requirements of the system you're designing, such as group messaging dynamics
- Actively ask clarifying questions to understand the requirements better. This helps in identifying and addressing key issues specific to the problem, rather than sticking to a generic approach
- Tailor your approach based on the specifics of the problem. If dealing with a unique system, like a group messaging app, adapt your design to handle unique challenges, such as managing multiple notifications from a single message
- Lead the discussion by probing into requirements and challenges. This ensures that your design addresses the most critical aspects of the problem

If you need extra help with your system design interview, [Formation.dev](https://formation.dev/partners/taro) can provide you hands-on, personalized support. Join us here: <https://formation.dev/partners/taro>

DSA Crash Course [Part 16] - Intersection Approach

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

> Write a function, *intersection*, that takes in two lists, *a*,\_b\_, as arguments. The function should return a new list containing elements that are in both of the two lists.
>
> You may assume that each input list does not contain duplicate elements.

```
intersection([4,2,1,6], [3,6,9,2,10]) # -> [2,6]
```

```
intersection([2,4,6], [4,2]) # -> [2,4]
```

```
intersection([4,2,1], [1,2,4,6]) # -> [1,2,4]
```

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/>

How To Figure Out If A Team Is Important To A Company

In this age of layoffs, it's important to choose a team and organization that is valued by the company overall. Even ignoring layoffs, it's better to join a team that's mission critical overall due to more career growth opportunities, especially as a software engineer.

Here's the core points from the video:
- **Profit center or cost center** - Does the company see your organization as core to its revenue generation or something it simply needs to have in a digital age? If its the former, that means the organization is probably better for your career:
  - **Profit center example:** The ads/search organization at Google
  - **Cost center example:** Website developers at a dental company
- **Growth trajectory** - In particular, is the organization scaling up its headcount quickly? If so, that shows that it's a company priority, and scope naturally appears when teams get bigger due to higher XFN and alignment costs.
- **Company visibility** - Do execs mention your organization in all-hands meetings? Better yet, is it referenced on earnings calls? The more an organization is mentioned in these more public communications, the better positioned it is within the company.

This clip was taken from our masterclass here: [[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 possible is it to spot red flags about toxic culture during the interview?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/1JwmhC3Nh9Ku0fkDL1bq/how-possible-is-it-to-spot-red-flags-about-toxic-culture-during-the-interview/)
- ["What does it mean to not have enough scope to be promoted?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/bJuagPwOEEy5vkcXKkqh/what-does-it-mean-to-not-have-enough-scope-to-be-promoted/)
- ["What should I look for in a new team in terms of growth?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/i2bOMPrqaRc0NUZ7918F/what-should-i-look-for-in-a-new-team-in-terms-of-growth/) - Question from a Google L4 engineer
- ["Is it better to work in revenue-generating divisions within your company?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/BIv8teCgxktk5tak6tlI/is-it-better-to-work-in-revenue-generating-divisions-within-your-company/)

Ace Your Tech Interview As A Software Engineer [Part 13] - Cold Messages

You're applying to tons of software engineer jobs, and it's not working out. In your desperation, you come up with a genius idea: You'll reach out to company employees directly with a cold message. That'll work right? Guess again. This lesson teaches you:

- Why cold messaging isn't as effective as software engineers think
- How a reliance on cold messages often mask a deeper personal problem for the engineer
- The necessary conditions for a cold message to have a high likelihood of working
- Why cold messages are far more effective with startups and near useless for Big Tech
- How to write an excellent cold message, demonstrated by a thorough example of a bad cold message vs. a good cold message

Ace Your Tech Interview As A Software Engineer [Part 9] - Polish Your Resume

Your resume is the most important professional document in your life. However, a lot of software engineers are severely lacking in this department. This lesson teaches you:

- The perspective of the often underappreciated tech recruiter and why they automatically reject the overwhelming majority of resumes, especially if they work for a top company like Big Tech
- How to write a resume that recruiters won't hate and instantly throw in the trash, leveraging that empathetic mentality from before
- The steep, underestimated cost of basic resume mistakes, which are incredibly common among immigrant engineers where English isn't their first language
- Why you should make just 1 focused resume instead of several, especially if you're earlier-in-career
- How recruiters hyper-efficiently read resumes (spoilers: they often don't read the entire thing)

13 minutes isn't nearly enough to fully understand all the mechanics of a good resume, so you should dive deeper here: [\[Masterclass\] How To Write A Stellar Tech Resume That Gets You More Job Opportunities](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/OnQV2V3J8DYVBBuGbZx6/masterclass-how-to-write-a-stellar-tech-resume-that-gets-you-more-job-opportunities/?playlistId=PJqfgn35DG82NSm3QyfT)

[Masterclass] Should You Work At FAANG? - What Big Tech Is Like For Software Engineers

Working at FAANG isn't all sunshine and roses, which most software engineers don't realize. This masterclass extensively covers both the pros *and* cons of working at Big Tech, with the cons being angles that are rarely talked about online.

### Pros of Big Tech
- Compensation (obviously)
- Boosts your resume 10x, often automatically getting you phone screens
- Higher-quality and more well-rounded learning from being surrounded by talent
- In general, provides a solid foundation for your career across most crucial aspects

### Cons of Big Tech
- It's stressful - Between the sky-high expectations, PIP culture, and much more, most engineers find it difficult just to survive at Big Tech. The vast majority of SWEs at these companies have poor work-life balance
- Politics - There's so many cooks in the kitchen that it can be glacially slow to get anything done
- Growth wall at senior/staff - The senior promotion is notoriously difficult at FAANG, especially at Amazon and Google. You are often competing for scope against your teammates
- Unfulfilling work - Big Tech projects are usually very incremental, and you will own a tiny piece of a tiny piece of a tiny piece, especially if you're L3/L4 (junior/mid-level).

### Is Big Tech right for you?
- It depends! Work backwards from your career goals and use the information from this presentation to make an informed decision
- Big Tech generally pays higher dividends when you're earlier-in-career
- If you're a very experienced engineer who hasn't worked for Big Tech before, it can be dangerous. Work-life balances needs generally scale up with age, and it will be harder for you to adapt to the Big Tech style

Related resources:
- ["What's the difference between Big Tech and startups in terms of learning and growth?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/KWXIrFIR1EIJsvdOdo7u/whats-the-difference-between-big-tech-and-startups-in-terms-of-learning-and-growth/)
- [How To Get FAANG Interviews](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/pIMdopWoJFfbANnzo7U5/how-to-get-faang-interviews/)
- [[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/)
- [Presentation Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1T5prt4AsEUxS1Yx5BvAIO4OYNFFGD5mCyv8g9UFzrTA/edit?usp=sharing)

Negotiation Course: What's Best To Negotiate

As you think about what components in the offer to negotiate, you should consider: 

1. **Where do you have the most alignment with the company?** For example, reducing the "clawback period" for your signing bonus from 1 year to 3 months is unaligned since the company wants to incentivize you to stick around beyond 3 months. On the other hand, doubling your equity package is more aligned, since your comp will go up if the company does well.
2. **Where can the recruiter best help you?** Generally, a recruiter is powerless to adjust things like 401(k) match or performance bonuses since they're standardized across the company. However, recruiters are able to adjust salary or equity, especially if you are willing to make trade-offs between them.

Another dimension to consider is that equity is riskier than salary, so, therefore, it should translate to a higher potential reward. Stock options and RSUs fluctuate in value based on the market.

If you're ok with the risk tolerance, you are likely able to get more equity vs salary, e.g. increase your equity $20K/year vs salary $5K/year. This is an **obviously** good trade for a Big Tech (FAANG) company, which will have a fairly stable stock price.

Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer [Part 8] - Case Study: Instagram vs. Robinhood

Trying to nail down what good code looks like is equivalent to trying to staple jello to a wall. Almost every software engineer looks up to FAANG and FAANG-adjacent companies, and that's what this lesson will cover in-depth with an example. This lesson will teach you:

- The engineering philosophy behind Instagram's Android codebase, its unique attributes, and its priorities
- The engineering philosophy behind Robinhood's Android codebase, its unique attributes, and its priorities
- Why taking Instagram Android code and pasting it into Robinhood would have been terrible despite it being industry-leading in its own context (and vice-versa)

Being New Is A Superpower

Instead of treating your newness as a liability, view it as a superpower.

- Nobody wants to be mean to the new person, so you have the perfect excuse to request resources aggressively.
- You can observe problems with the codebase, processes, or tools that tenured employees have learned to tolerate.
- You can connect the dots between different teams or ideas that would be harder for people entrenched in their roles.

Approach your onboarding with the urgency that "**You will never have fresh eyes again**."

As the most clueless person, if you revamp a resource (wiki, code, etc) to be easy to understand for yourself, you are making it easy for **everyone** to understand.

Grow From Mid-Level To Senior Engineer [Part 17] - Meetings

Every tech company needs a ton of meetings in order to function. The tricky thing is that a lot of software engineers are introverts, so they have trouble participating in meetings, especially when they're more junior. This lesson teaches you:

- The differences between junior, mid-level, and senior engineers when it comes to meeting presence
- The difference in types of meetings mid-level engineers participate in vs. those of senior engineers
- How meeting ownership shifts as engineers grow from mid-level to senior
- Tips to run an effective meeting which is an efficient use of time

To dive deeper into how to run a good meeting: ["What are some thoughts on maintaining good meeting hygiene?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/CModSkZ4LWzw9bdaiakt/what-are-some-thoughts-on-maintaining-good-meeting-hygiene/)

[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/)

Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer [Part 7] - Code Quality Isn't Static

Things would be so easy if we could just copy-paste the tech stack of our favorite FAANG company and call it a day. The bad news is that this is a prime recipe for disaster. This lesson will teach you:

- Why there's no such thing as objectively "good" code and the primary vector stopping that (hint: It's the only resource that matters)
- The right mentality to have when improving your specific codebase in your specific situation
- How to think about your code architecture as it relates to scale

Become An Open Source Master [Part 5] - The Benefits Of Open Source

We'll discuss the reasons why you should get involved in open source and the benefits it can bring, both professionally and personally.

- **Work on code that matters:** Contribute to projects used by others, gaining a sense of achievement and pride.
- **Improve your coding skills:** Receive feedback and learn from experienced developers, improving your coding abilities and knowledge.
- **Build relationships:** Connect with maintainers, contributors, and users, expanding your network and learning opportunities.
- **Enhance your professional portfolio:** Showcase your skills and experience to potential employers through your open source contributions.
- **Grow your personal reputation:** Gain recognition and build valuable connections within the open source community.

Connect with James: 

- GitHub: <https://github.com/jamesgpearce>
- Twitter (X): <https://twitter.com/jamespearce>

[Become A Go-To Person 4/18] The Benefits Of Being The Go-To Person

A course by [Jordan Cutler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordancutler1/), Senior Software Engineer at Pinterest and Author of the [High Growth Engineer Newsletter](https://read.highgrowthengineer.com/)

Get a discount on Jordan's newsletter here: <https://read.highgrowthengineer.com/taro>

Come Up With 500k+ User Project Ideas [Part 4] - Finding Inspiration

Good side project ideas don't grow on trees, but finding them actually isn't that difficult. This lesson teaches you:

- The mentality you should have with your day-to-day life to organically stumble into great software product ideas
- How frustration in general is actually a blessing in disguise, not just for side projects but for engineering in general
- Tactical ways you can improve on existing products in your life

Why All Great Engineers Are Great Debuggers

A lot of engineers will run away from bugs to solely focus on feature work instead. This is a huge career mistake as it deprives you of one of the core sources of engineering growth.

This video is a clip from our debugging masterclass. You can watch it here: [[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/)

Related resources:
- ["How can I become more independent and better at unblocking myself with tricky technical issues?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/QhqQQGrDgFjZbqohpKe0/how-can-i-become-more-independent-and-better-at-unblocking-myself-with-tricky-technical-issues/)
- ["What is the effective way to understand new repository in order to make the required changes in that repo?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/KoxB3UU2zWC9pdYU6Rx0/what-is-the-effective-way-to-understand-new-repository-in-order-to-make-the-required-changes-in-that-repo/)
- [[Taro Top 10] Junior Engineer To Mid-Level Engineer (L3 To L4)](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/iBKHYpkjd0BRWWLKQG2j/)

This Is How You Get Feedback - Making The Process Smooth

The best way to improve as a software engineer is to get feedback, especially when you're new to a team or company. However, this is much easier said than done - Simply having the mentality of being open to feedback isn't enough.

Here's the core points from the video:

- **Don't just ask "Do you have any feedback for me?"** - The cognitive load for the person you're seeking feedback from is simply too high: They need to mentally comb through everything you're doing and then think through every aspect of it to find feedback to give you. Instead of doing this, they'll often default to the "lazy" response of "Nope, you're doing great!". Lazy inputs result in lazy outputs, and you definitely shouldn't be lazy when asking for feedback.
- **Reduce feedback requests to yes/no questions** - Regularly retrospect on your own and use that to craft more pointed questions when asking for feedback. Let's say you're not happy with how clean your code is, evidenced by a lot of pushback when you submit it for review. Using this, you can ask something like, *"I feel like I could do a better job polishing my code; my PRs get a lot of thrash. Do you think I can improve here?"* If they say "Yes", you can then ask for tactics you can apply to get better here.
- **Core areas for onboarding feedback**
  - Overall velocity and output
  - Code quality
  - How good your questions are

Related resources:

- [Suppress Your Instincts And Treat All Feedback As A Gift](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/dpTu1KBbXJdnHdrQLxsG/suppress-your-instincts-and-treat-all-feedback-as-a-gift/)
- [How To Get Real Feedback So You Can Actually Improve](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/srTbalkn0HMwEH7HoOpY/how-to-get-real-feedback-so-you-can-actually-improve/)
- ["How can I find more opportunities to grow when I'm getting very little real feedback?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/7nrslKZuiFdYeutpeX5k/how-can-i-find-more-opportunities-to-grow-when-im-getting-very-little-real-feedback/)

Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer [Part 12] - Break It Down

Software is scary, especially when you get big projects that require thousands of lines of code to implement. This lesson will teach you:

- The steps to turn any tough technical problem into something that's quite manageable (and even easy)
- Why decomposition is one of the important skills for a software engineer to have at all levels
- A framework to plan out your commits and create a crystal clear roadmap for your code
- How to decompose coding projects in a systematic way, demonstrated through an in-depth example covering a classic software flow: User login

Signs Of A Healthy Manager 1 on 1 Meeting

- **Golden standard**: Weekly 30-45 minute meeting
  - Bi-weekly can be okay, but weekly is ideal. Anything less frequent than bi-weekly is a red flag.
  - This should be recurring and scheduled, not ad-hoc.
- The meeting should feel proactive instead of reactive.
  - Reactive 1 on 1s happen when the meeting has no agenda beforehand.
  - The discussion should be focused and talking about future themes for you and your career like growth and career goals.
- The meeting isn't purely tactical: This is a time for you and your manager to build trust and get to know one another.
- The time should feel "awkward". Some "awkward" areas include:
  - Honest feedback
  - Emotions 

Related resources:
- [1 on 1s Are The Time To Be Awkward](https://link.jointaro.com/kuS9keFuUwRJk9rSA)
- ["How do I help my manager (who is also my mentor) be a better manager and mentor?"](https://link.jointaro.com/72SzjBb9HW1S46Dx8)
- ["How do I create a growth plan with my manager/mentor and what should it include?"](https://link.jointaro.com/fude3eS1nJwcMSp9A)

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.