It is humiliating to have to do LeetCode grinding for

Perceived Problems with LeetCode‑Style Interviews

• Many see grinding algorithm puzzles as humiliating and disconnected from real work, especially for senior engineers with long track records or open‑source portfolios.
• Complaints that questions often reward memorization of “obscure” algorithms rather than general problem‑solving or product skills.
• Some note that success is heavily correlated with recent practice; needing weeks of prep for a job you’re already good at feels wrong.
• Algorithmic tests are viewed by some as subtly ageist: older engineers never faced these in school and may be filtered out despite experience.
• For most jobs, actual work is CRUD, systems thinking, communication, and maintainability, not graph algorithms under time pressure.

Defenses and Justifications

• Others argue basic DS/algorithms are foundational, like scales for musicians or drills for athletes; demonstrating them shouldn’t be considered degrading.
• Coding screens act as a “stupid test” in a world of inflated resumes and degrees; many applicants cannot solve even FizzBuzz‑level tasks.
• LeetCode performance is seen by some as correlated with CS fundamentals, grit, and ability to reason from first principles.
• Top companies and saturated markets can afford to filter on both LeetCode and other dimensions.

Alternatives and Modifications

• Suggestions:
  • Short, relevant work samples or take‑home tasks with clear rubrics, PRs, linting, and repo usage.
  • Let candidates submit existing public work (OSS, prior projects) plus written context instead of a canned challenge.
  • Lightweight, realistic coding tasks (“type 2” LeetCode: prototype a solution to a real-ish problem) rather than puzzle‑style questions.
• Some prefer LeetCode over highly stack‑specific grilling or purely subjective “culture fit” chats.

Career Choices and Coping Strategies

• Several report avoiding or leaving traditional SWE roles because of LeetCode, moving into cybersecurity, data analysis, or ops where tests are more job‑aligned.
• Others accept the system pragmatically: grind intensely for a period, secure higher‑paying roles, then stop.
• A minority enjoys LeetCode as a hobby and claims it improved day‑to‑day coding intuition.

Broader Concerns

• Debate over power imbalance: long multi‑stage processes, unpaid lengthy exams, relocation/probation risks vs. employer flexibility.
• Tension between wanting more objective hiring and recognizing that narrow proxies can select for “LeetCode engineers” over well‑rounded ones.