Get The Rating You Deserve [Part 19] - Conclusion

**In this course, we’ve explored strategies for increasing our impact and achieving long-term success.**

We covered three key areas:

- **Understanding Impact Dynamics:** We learned how to create value and communicate it effectively to others.
- **Increasing Luck Surface Area:** We explored strategies for getting things done and sharing our work with the world.
- **Building an Empowering State:** We discussed the importance of cultivating a positive mindset, building strong relationships, and prioritizing self-care.

By applying these principles, we can improve our professional and personal lives. If you have any questions or would like to delve deeper into these concepts, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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**](https://tinyurl.com/meetyogi).

Get The Rating You Deserve [Part 17] - Think Long Term

**In this section, we explored the importance of maintaining a long-term perspective in our careers.**

To cultivate a long-term mindset, we should:

- **Set long-term goals:** Define clear and ambitious goals for the next five, ten, or even twenty years.
- **Align short-term actions with long-term goals:** Make decisions that align with our long-term vision.
- **Build a strong personal brand:** Develop a reputation for reliability, integrity, and expertise.
- **Cultivate meaningful relationships:** Build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues, mentors, and sponsors.
- **Continuously learn and grow:** Invest in personal and professional development to stay ahead of the curve.

By adopting a long-term perspective, we can make more strategic decisions, increase our resilience, and achieve greater fulfillment in our careers.

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>.

Paper Reading: Llama 2: Open Foundation and Fine-Tuned Chat Models

Session led by [Mike A](https://www.linkedin.com/in/malik-mike-a-32b63818b/)

Join us for the second installment of our three-part paper reading series on the LLaMA series of Large Language Models (LLMs).

In this session, we will dive into **Llama 2**, the second iteration in the LLaMA family of models, introduced by Meta AI in mid-2023. This follow-up to the original LLaMA models brings significant advancements, offering foundational and fine-tuned versions with parameter counts ranging from 7B to 70B. Llama 2 models set new benchmarks in helpfulness and safety, showcasing impressive capabilities in dialogue-based tasks and outperforming many open-source alternatives.

We will explore the innovations behind the **Llama 2** models, focusing on their **pretraining methodology**, the **fine-tuning process** that incorporates Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF), and the novel techniques Meta AI used to enhance model safety and alignment. Particular emphasis will be placed on the **Llama 2-Chat models**, optimized for multi-turn conversations, along with references to their performance on real-world safety benchmarks.

This session will be an insightful discussion of how the Llama 2 models have helped to close the gap between open-source and closed-source systems like ChatGPT, examining their architecture, training data, and the steps taken to ensure responsible release and deployment. We'll highlight key takeaways from Meta AI's comprehensive evaluation of these models and discuss how they are still reshaping the landscape of open-source AI.

Whether you're a researcher, developer, or AI enthusiast, this paper reading will offer you an in-depth understanding of the **Llama 2** models and their contributions to the ongoing development of LLMs. This is a unique opportunity to review cutting-edge advancements in **LLM safety**, **dialogue optimization**, and their impact on the future of open-source AI systems.

Mark your calendars for an informative hour of "Llama 2: Open Foundation and Fine-Tuned Chat Models," as we continue to chart the progress of AI language models and explore the innovations that continue to shape the future of the field!

[https://lmarena.ai/\
https://github.com/meta-llama/llama](https://lmarena.ai/￼https://github.com/meta-llama/llama)

DSA Crash Course [Part 80] - Non Adjacent Sum Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *non_adjacent_sum* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/non-adjacent-sum?language=py>

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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 78] - Max Path Sum Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *max_path_sum* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/max-path-sum?language=py>

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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 74] - Minimum Change Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *min_change* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/min-change?language=py>

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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 65] - Minimum Island Approach

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

> Write a function, *minimum_island*, that takes in a grid containing Ws and Ls. W represents water and L represents land. The function should return the size of the smallest island. An island is a vertically or horizontally connected region of land.
>
> You may assume that the grid contains at least one island.

```
grid = [
['W', 'L', 'W', 'W', 'W'],
['W', 'L', 'W', 'W', 'W'],
['W', 'W', 'W', 'L', 'W'],
['W', 'W', 'L', 'L', 'W'],
['L', 'W', 'W', 'L', 'L'],
['L', 'L', 'W', 'W', 'W'],
]

minimum_island(grid) # -> 2
```

```
grid = [
['L', 'W', 'W', 'L', 'W'],
['L', 'W', 'W', 'L', 'L'],
['W', 'L', 'W', 'L', 'W'],
['W', 'W', 'W', 'W', 'W'],
['W', 'W', 'L', 'L', 'L'],
]

minimum_island(grid) # -> 1
```

```
grid = [
['L', 'L', 'L'],
['L', 'L', 'L'],
['L', 'L', 'L'],
]

minimum_island(grid) # -> 9
```

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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 64] - Island Count Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *island_count* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/island-count?language=py>

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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 62] - Shortest Path Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *shortest_path* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/shortest-path?language=py>

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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 60] - Largest Component Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *largest_component* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/largest-component?language=py>

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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 48] - Tree Min Value Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *tree_min_value* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/tree-min-value?language=py>

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/>

DSA Crash Course [Part 44] - Tree Sum Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *tree_sum* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/tree-sum?language=py>

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 Crack System Design Interviews - Part 11: Conclusion

This concludes the System Design Interview course! To maximize your performance in upcoming interviews, we recommend:

- **Reviewing the course content:** Shortly before your interview, revisit the course material and use it as a checklist to ensure you've grasped the key concepts.

- **Focusing on communication:** Remember that the interview assesses your ability to communicate effectively, demonstrate knowledge of existing systems, and showcase problem-solving skills.

- **Practicing and preparing:** Thorough preparation is crucial for success in system design interviews. Utilize the resources and strategies discussed throughout the course to enhance your skills and increase your confidence.

- **Remembering your value:** Regardless of the interview outcome, your competence and skills as an engineer remain valuable.

Good luck with your interviews!

[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 Crack System Design Interviews - Part 8: Technical Competence

This video analyzes the technical aspects of a system design interview, focusing on how our design choices are evaluated. Here's what we need to keep in mind:

- **Thoughtful design choices:** We must justify our technology choices (e.g., Cassandra) with clear reasoning connected to the system's needs and demonstrate awareness of alternative solutions.

- **Multiple solutions and trade-offs:** We should showcase our technical depth by considering various solutions (e.g., push vs. pull models) and understanding their trade-offs (e.g., SQL vs. NoSQL databases).

- **Real-world examples:** We need to incorporate practical, real-world examples of technologies and products to illustrate our design choices and demonstrate practicality.

- **Deep technical knowledge:** We should possess a strong understanding of the technologies we propose, including their internal workings and how they compare to alternatives.

- **Feedback and iteration:** We must be receptive to feedback on our design choices and demonstrate the ability to adapt and improve our solutions based on the interviewer's input.

[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 Crack System Design Interviews - Part 3: Building The Basic Design

After gathering requirements, we move on to creating a basic design for the system. This allows for flexibility and gives the interviewer insight into our strengths and areas for growth. Here's how we approach this stage:

- **Request-driven design:** We let the flow of requests through the system guide our design choices, identifying necessary components and databases along the way.
- **Leverage existing technologies:** We utilize familiar technologies and design patterns, treating them as black boxes that can be explored further if the interviewer wishes.
- **Maintain a balanced level of detail:** We provide a high-level design without being too vague, mentioning specific technologies and protocols where appropriate.
- **Expose relevant APIs:** We identify the necessary APIs for the system and consider whether multiple services and databases are needed.
- **Offer multiple options:** We demonstrate our understanding of trade-offs by suggesting multiple technologies or protocols and discussing their potential benefits and drawbacks.

[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.

Taro Book Club: The Pragmatic Programmer - Session 5

Session Led by [Bikram Kashyap](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kashyapbikram/)

In this #taro-bookclub discussion, we'll go over [**"The Pragmatic Programmer"**](https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-Journeyman-Master/dp/020161622X) by Andrew Hund & David Thomas

Here's the agenda:

- Decoupling
- Juggling the Real World
- Transforming Programming
- Inheritance Tax
- Configuration

Please send your questions ahead of time to [**Bikram Kashyap**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kashyapbikram/) in the [**Taro Premium**](https://www.jointaro.com/membership/) Slack, so that they can be included in the discussion. *If you don't have the book or want more details on how this all works, check out the #taro-bookclub channel in the Taro Premium Slack as well!*

Get ready for another engaging and informative session!

Why Don't More Big Tech Engineers Contribute To Open Source?

The modern software industry runs on open source software. Should more software engineers (especially those in Big Tech) contribute back to open source?

This Facebook Engineering Director Quit To Sail The World

After more than 10 years working at Meta (Facebook), James quit to work on his boat full-time. While sailing, he also contributes to open-source! <https://github.com/tinyplex/tinybase>

How Managers Hire Great Engineers [Part 24] - Recommended Tools

Many tools need to come together for a successful hiring campaign. From this lesson, you will:

- Learn about key tools for recruitment: LinkedIn Premium for unlimited profile searches, Mixmax and Ashby for email scheduling and outreach, and RocketReach for obtaining personal email addresses
- Understand how AI could change recruitment practices by automating personalized outreach, potentially making it more challenging to stand out among recruiters
- Recognize the importance of adapting strategies, such as increasing in-person engagements, to maintain effectiveness in recruitment as AI evolves

Connect with John Egan on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwegan/>

How Managers Hire Great Engineers [Part 23] - Building Relationships

Social capital is incredibly important when hiring. From this lesson, you will:

- Learn about the importance of building relationships in recruitment, similar to how VCs generate deal flow
- Discover the strategy used by Benjamin Nazad, who leveraged academic directories to network with potential contacts in the VC industry
- Understand that cultivating relationships with each candidate can significantly enhance the likelihood of closing them during the hiring process
- Recognize the long-term value of maintaining relationships even when there are no immediate job openings, facilitating quicker recruitment when positions become available

Connect with John Egan on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwegan/>

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.