How to Crack System Design Interviews - Part 9: Effective Communication

This video details the scoring criteria for system design interviews, focusing on scalability, reliability, and communication. We learn how to demonstrate strong technical skills and cultural fit:

- **Identify and mitigate bottlenecks:** We should proactively identify scalability and performance bottlenecks in our design and propose effective mitigation strategies.

- **Address potential failures:** We must analyze potential points of failure, including those in external systems, and explain how we would handle them.

- **Communicate clearly and effectively:** We need to present our solution in a structured and organized manner, using appropriate terminology and incorporating feedback constructively.

- **Demonstrate cultural fit:** We should align our design choices and communication style with the company's values and priorities, showcasing our understanding of their engineering culture.

- **Maintain professionalism:** We must conduct ourselves professionally throughout the interview, avoiding inappropriate jokes or comments and demonstrating openness to feedback.

[Gaurav Sen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gkcs/) has conducted 1000s of system design interviews while working at Uber and building his [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@gkcs) to 500K+ subscribers. His platform [InterviewReady](https://interviewready.io/?_aff=JOINTARO) combines video explainers, live Zoom classes, and an automated System Design Judge.

How To Build A Fulfilling Career Path For Your Engineers

We’ve all been there – you want to be there for your team, but you end up pushing back 1:1 meetings because there’s a lot on your plate. Or your team member wants to practice a particular framework but you don’t have any upcoming work that would let them do that. Or you’re heading into a career development conversation and trying to figure out how to share some tough feedback.

At the same time, a regular piece of feedback from individual contributors is that they’d like their managers to provide more support for their career development..

So what’s an engineering manager to do? How can we help our teams build fulfilling careers while juggling their asks with all the other work on our plate? And how do we balance their development areas with completing the work that needs to be done? Doing this well will not only help our team’s satisfaction and morale, but also support our own progress in our organization – but it’s easier said than done.

This talk provides concrete tips to help you do better in supporting your team on their career development journey. We’ll talk about strategies to:

- The bedrock for a fulfilling career (awareness)
- Make time for 1:1s – even when things get busy!
- Focus 1:1’s on growth & development (not work)
- Balance between improving weaknesses versus cultivating strengths

This is a talk Rahul gave at the [Tech Leaders Chat](https://www.meetup.com/tech-leader-chats/events/293719388/) hosted by [Multitudes](https://www.multitudes.co/).

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 11] - Identifying Fit

Some people simply aren't meant to get along, and you will run into a lot of these people across your career. This lesson teaches you:

- Why finding right fit connections is so important for networking, particularly with your efficiency
- How professional networking really isn't that different from making friends "in real life" (IRL)
- Solidarity angles you can leverage to find good fit connections

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 10] - Rephrasing For Clarity

In this video, I delve into the art of rephrasing for clarity, emphasizing its significance in reaching a wider audience and maintaining engagement. Techniques like simplifying language, breaking down complex ideas, using synonyms, and restating key points are explored with practical examples. Viewers are encouraged to apply these strategies to enhance message comprehension and audience connection.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-wiens/>

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 8] - In-Person Is King

Remote and flexible work are amazing, but they do come with massive downsides, especially when it comes to networking. This lesson teaches you:

- The fatal flaw with remote work, particularly with accruing social capital
- Why humans aren't intrinsically wired to work remotely (quite the opposite)
- What gets lost in translation during remote work and video calls
- What types of engineer should prioritize in-person work

[Timeless Career Advice] Mid Year and End of Year Reviews

Amazon Metrics Map Example

In this lesson, we walk through **two core techniques—Metrics Mapping and Customer Experience Mapping**—that helped us systematically discover and define the input metrics that truly matter. These methods gave us a more granular, customer-focused way to understand and improve our business performance at Amazon.

### Key Takeaways:

- **We used Metrics Mapping to break down strategic goals**: Starting with broad objectives like lowering cost structure, we recursively drilled down to discover the specific drivers (e.g., shipping cost, pick cost, forecast accuracy) and converted them into measurable input metrics.
- **We cast a wide net during brainstorming**: In the early stages of metrics mapping, we didn’t worry about whether we could measure something yet or whether it was immediately useful. Our priority was to be comprehensive.
- **We built Customer Experience Maps to capture every user touchpoint**: From site entry to search, checkout, and delivery, we identified every customer interaction and defined metrics for speed, quality, and cost—measured both from the customer's and Amazon’s point of view.
- **We stayed grounded in the customer’s perspective**: Instead of focusing on internal outcomes like revenue per page view, we measured how intuitive, fast, and helpful each experience was for the customer, ensuring our metrics aligned with long-term value creation.
- **We operationalized customer obsession**: These techniques gave us a structured, measurable way to uphold our customer-obsessed culture. Other companies have found these frameworks to be transformative in how they assess and improve their own customer experience and operations.

To dive deeper into Input Metrics Mastery and learn more from Bill and Colin, follow these links:

- Take the full course at their website: <https://workingbackwards.com/>
- Buy the book: <https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595>
- Bill's LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-carr/>
- Colin's LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinbryar/>

Get The Rating You Deserve [Part 11] - Add Incredible Value

**In this section, we explored the concept of adding incredible value to our work.**

To truly make a significant impact, we should:

- **Go the extra mile:** Strive for excellence and push beyond the minimum requirements.
- **Prioritize finishing tasks:** Complete projects thoroughly, including documentation and testing.
- **Seek continuous feedback:** Actively solicit input from colleagues and managers to improve our work.
- **Balance work and rest:** Maintain a sustainable pace by incorporating regular breaks and time off.
- **Focus on long-term impact:** Adopt a long-term perspective and prioritize tasks that contribute to strategic goals.

By consistently striving to add incredible value, we can become indispensable assets to our teams and organizations.

If you want to get personalized support from Yogi, you can reach out to him at [coaching@yogisharma.com](mailto:coaching@yogisharma.com) or schedule an introductory call to dive into your situation at <https://tinyurl.com/meetyogi>.

Come Up With 500k+ User Project Ideas [Part 16] - Bias Towards Action

Talk is cheap. Action is expensive. Engineers often fall into a habit of thinking about what to do instead of actually doing anything. This lesson teaches you:

- How engineers struggle internally with their side projects, leading to nothing getting built
- Why you should just quickly build a side project idea after you have done some basic validation
- Why running a survey is one of the worst ways to validate a side project idea
- How most engineers struggle with user research (UXR)
- What book you should read if you really, really, really want to do UXR

Here's the UXR book Alex mentioned (it's one of the few books he's actually read): <https://www.momtestbook.com/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 15] - Fostering Online Relationships

In this lesson, Brian shares his strategy for using comments and direct messages to build meaningful online connections and network effectively.

This lesson covers:

- Starting with genuine, thoughtful comments on posts to build rapport and avoid disingenuous engagement, which helps foster real conversations
- How to follow up comments by sliding into DMs, offering value first rather than asking for a favor, and creating opportunities for connection without being awkward
- The importance of short, 15-minute coffee chats to learn from others while keeping the conversation low-pressure and focused on mutual interests

If you need extra help breaking into tech, join Brian's exclusive, cohort-based bootcamp (just 10 students per batch). Use this special link for $800 off: <https://www.parsity.io/taro>

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjenney/>

Ace The ML System Design Interview [Part 10] - Final Thoughts

Congrats on making it all the way to the end of this course! We've now covered the key elements to help you succeed in your machine learning system design interviews. Remember, having a structured approach is essential. Here are the core points from this lesson:

- Use a system to guide you through the interview, helping to avoid common pitfalls and ensuring key aspects of the problem are addressed
- Treat time estimates for each stage as a guide, but prioritize the core sections: big-picture system design, data, and modeling
- Communicate your approach to the interviewer at the beginning of the interview to set clear expectations
- Demonstrate structure and a systematic approach to impress interviewers and showcase engineering capabilities

If you like what Ilya has to say, subscribe to his YouTube for more high-quality ML/AI career guidance: [MLEpath - YouTube](https://go.mlepath.com/taro-youtube-mlepath)

If you want hands-on support from Ilya to crack the FAANG ML interview, join his coaching program: [MLEpath - Coaching Program](https://go.mlepath.com/taro-march-25)

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 14] - Debugging

Debugging is a vital yet often underestimated skill for software engineers, especially interns who are frequently tasked with bug fixes or need to debug their own code. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Interns often start with low-priority bugs or tackle backlog issues, making debugging a key part of ramping up and delivering impact
- Effective debugging requires identifying the relevant code, using logs or dashboards, and writing down your hypotheses to stay focused
- Reframing debugging as evidence gathering for a potential question helps you avoid tunnel vision and often leads to discovering the root issue
- Common mistakes include poor organization, incorrect environment setup, and focusing on irrelevant details—clarifying these with teammates is encouraged

Go through the debugging masterclass 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/)

Tech Lead Blueprint 13/17 - Team Culture

Connect with Lalit on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalitkundu/>

[Part 3] Software Engineer Onboarding: Understand Tactical Decisions

Learn the product to make good tactical decisions.

Within the first few weeks of your onboarding, you should have have fixed a few bugs and . Now it's time to slow down a bit and do some reflection on the decision-making process and priorities of the team.

- [How To Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/tyaPFMXPoz2pmzB7OVzt/how-to-build-deep-relationships-quickly-in-tech-12172022/)
- [The Crucial First Step To Building Relationships That Everyone Misses](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/YPniDFNQqoHEpYHC9JEq/the-crucial-first-step-to-building-relationships-that-everyone-misses/)

This is part 3 of a 4 part series from Daniel about how to **most efficiently** and **most effectively** onboard into a new team or company. What should you spend your time doing in the first few months of joining, and how should that change based on your level? 

This masterclass covers this topic from the perspective of Daniel Tomko, a 20 year Big Tech veteran. Daniel spent 11 years at Microsoft and 8 years at Meta in various senior IC and management positions. 

- [Go to part 4 of the masterclass here](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/JFvfEoKshdPWuiCuy3GY/part-4-software-engineer-onboarding-understand-strategic-decisions/)
- [Go back to part 1 of the masterclass here](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/IYZRmwp33E3TBeFQFr9c/part-1-software-engineer-onboarding-embrace-your-lack-of-knowledge/)

Ship & Grow 500k+ User Side Projects [Part 5] - Make It 5x Better With 0 Effort

It can be tempting to make some money on your side projects given how much time you're putting in. However, this is almost never worth it. This lesson teaches you:

- Why the ROI on adding paywalls and ads to your product is pretty bad, especially when considering the true purpose of your side project
- Why payments are way more complex than you think
- The many downsides of adding ads to your product
- A little bonus you can do on top of making your product free and ad-free

Easy Tactics You Can Apply Today To Increase Your Focus

Which of these are valid tactics to minimize the distraction from your phone?

True or false: As an engineer, it is important for you to attend every possible meeting so you can know everything that is going on, therefore empowering your productivity.

As a software engineer, why is it crucial to reject meetings when possible?

Maximize your focus and productivity as a software engineer by minimizing any distractions.

The First Thing You Need To Do To Set Yourself Up For Promotion

Which of the following is the foundation for your promotion plan?

Why is understanding your strengths so important towards your tech career growth?

Get The Rating You Deserve [Part 13] - Showcase Your Work

**In this section, we discussed the importance of effectively communicating our work and aspirations.**

To maximize our impact, we should:

- **Showcase our work:** Highlight our accomplishments and contributions, tailoring our communication to different audiences.
- **Communicate our desires:** Clearly express our goals and aspirations to our managers and colleagues.
- **Engage in regular check-ins:** Schedule regular meetings with our manager to discuss our progress, challenges, and future plans.
- **Optimize synchronous time:** Make the most of our meetings by focusing on key topics and decision-making.
- **Develop strong storytelling skills:** Use storytelling techniques to make our work more engaging and memorable.

By effectively communicating our work and desires, we can increase our visibility, influence, and career opportunities.

If you want to get personalized support from Yogi, you can reach out to him at [coaching@yogisharma.com](mailto:coaching@yogisharma.com) or schedule an introductory call to dive into your situation at <https://tinyurl.com/meetyogi>.

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 11] - Using Analogies In Communication

In this video, I delve into the art of using analogies to enhance communication. Analogies serve as powerful tools that simplify complex ideas, making explanations more engaging and understandable. I provide insights on creating effective analogies by identifying core concepts, finding familiar comparisons, highlighting similarities, and keeping it simple. Viewers are encouraged to apply these techniques to bridge the gap between technical concepts and familiar experiences.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-wiens/>

Asking Great Questions [Part 25] - How You Should Evolve

It's important to make sure that you're always getting better - As long as you're improving, you will eventually become a rockstar engineer. So how does that work when it comes to judging your question asking ability? This lesson teaches you:

- What seniority does not mean when it comes to asking questions
- What seniority actually means when it comes to asking questions
- A simple framework you can use to evaluate the level your questions are at, split by junior/mid-level/senior+

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.