Re:Google interviewing process for software developer role i...
by eq_sd_ on Monday February 24, 2020 @08:40PM
(#22410253)
I was asked to code 2048 in an interview at a major video game company. I don't necessarily think it's the most difficult thing ever, but I also don't think it's that easy if you've never even thought about it before. I knew I wasn't going to be able to completely solve it in 45 minutes and remarked solving it was more difficult than I thought it would be.
The interviewer replied, "yeah, I tried it at home and thought it was pretty hard too."
Seems like a pretty dumb question to ask in an interview unless you expect the interviewee to flounder.
It's a different problem. I play a lot of 2048. It's on my watch, fun thing to do while stuck in line or whatever. I haven't the first clue how to write an algorithm to beat it.
Here's how I'd do that: I'd get on the Googly-moogly and start reading up. Probably take me a couple days to get my bearings.
In a 45 minute interview process? Forget it. They think they're testing for someone who can solve this problem. They're actually testing for someone who has encountered it recently in some other guise.