Ask HN: How does one stay motivated to grind through LeetCode?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Whether to Grind LeetCode at All

  • Many say: if you hate it, don’t do it—but accept the consequences (fewer options, especially big tech/SV).
  • Several argue LeetCode is mostly required only for FAANG-style/big corpo roles; many other jobs don’t use it or use only light versions.
  • Others insist that in Silicon Valley and high-comp tracks, “you have to do LeetCode” unless you’re very well connected.
  • A recurring sentiment: companies that rely heavily on LeetCode are often not places some commenters want to work anyway.

Motivation vs Discipline

  • Common view: motivation is fleeting; discipline, routine, and planning matter more.
  • Tactics mentioned:
    • Small daily quotas (e.g., 1 hard / 2 medium / 3 easy; 15-minute sessions morning/evening).
    • Using LeetCode sites/lists (Blind 75, NeetCode, pattern lists) for structure and visible progress.
    • Treating it like a game or competitive sport (runtime/memory rankings, internet points).
    • Creating a dedicated “LeetCode space” with no distractions.
    • Using it as “productive procrastination” compared to worse chores.
  • Extrinsic motivators: salary charts, family responsibilities, fear of poverty, even spite toward imagined rivals.

Psychological and Emotional Friction

  • Several describe anxiety and avoidance: LeetCode prep used to procrastinate real interviews, fear of failing with long cool-off periods.
  • Some older/experienced engineers feel devalued: decades of work seem to “count for nothing” next to timed puzzles.
  • Others frame it as wage-slave hoops, doublethink, or soul-crushing drudgery, especially later in one’s career.

Perceived Value of LeetCode and Algorithms

  • Supporters:
    • Enjoy puzzle-solving for its own sake or treat it as a fun, non-work challenge.
    • Emphasize learning patterns, classification, and core data structures/algorithms; report genuine skill gains and easier interviews.
  • Critics:
    • Call it academic, context-free, rarely needed in real jobs; better to build real projects.
    • Note that LLMs can already handle many such tasks, making memorization feel pointless.
    • See it as filtering for exam-taking and pain tolerance rather than job performance; some call it a de facto IQ or legal-defense filter.

Alternatives and Coping Strategies

  • Suggestions: focus on networking, side projects, infrastructure/security/architecture, smaller companies, remote roles, or starting a business.
  • Some advise joining study groups to make practice social and accountable.
  • Others simply refuse LeetCode and accept lower pay or different markets as the tradeoff.