Akuna Capital

Software Engineer

Software EngineerMid Level Software EngineerMedium to Hard

Akuna Capital's interview process for a Mid-Level Software Engineer aims to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within a fast-paced trading environment. The process is designed to evaluate a candidate's ability to design, develop, and maintain high-performance software solutions.

Rounds

3

Timeline

~14 days

Experience

3 - 7 yrs

Salary Range

US$120000 - US$160000

Total Duration

135 min

Overall Evaluation Criteria

Technical Skills

Technical proficiency in core computer science concepts.
Problem-solving and analytical skills.
Ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code.
Understanding of data structures and algorithms.
System design and architectural thinking.
Communication and collaboration skills.
Cultural fit and alignment with Akuna Capital's values.

Communication & Collaboration

Ability to articulate thought process clearly.
Effective communication of technical ideas.
Active listening and responsiveness to feedback.
Enthusiasm and passion for technology.

Cultural Fit & Motivation

Demonstrated interest in financial markets and trading.
Proactive approach to learning and self-improvement.
Resilience and ability to perform under pressure.
Team-oriented mindset.

Preparation Tips

1Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal).
2Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or AlgoExpert, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
3Understand time and space complexity (Big O notation).
4Brush up on object-oriented programming principles and design patterns.
5Familiarize yourself with common operating system concepts and concurrency.
6Read about Akuna Capital's business and the technologies they use.
7Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, focusing on your contributions and technical challenges.
8Practice explaining your thought process out loud as you solve problems.
9Research common behavioral interview questions and prepare STAR method responses.
10Understand the basics of networking and distributed systems if applicable to the role.

Study Plan

1

Data Structures Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Basic Algorithms. Practice LeetCode Easy/Medium.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Hash Tables) and basic algorithms (Sorting, Searching). Practice implementing these from scratch and analyze their time/space complexity. Solve 10-15 LeetCode Easy/Medium problems per week.

2

Advanced Algorithms

Weeks 3-4: Advanced Data Structures & Algorithms. Practice LeetCode Medium/Hard.

Weeks 3-4: Dive into more advanced data structures (Trees, Heaps, Graphs) and algorithms (Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms, Graph Traversal). Focus on understanding problem patterns and applying appropriate techniques. Solve 10-15 LeetCode Medium/Hard problems per week.

3

System Design

Week 5: System Design & Scalability. Review common design patterns.

Week 5: Concentrate on System Design and Scalability. Understand concepts like load balancing, caching, database design (SQL vs NoSQL), microservices, and message queues. Review common system design interview questions and practice designing scalable systems.

4

Behavioral & Company Fit

Week 6: Behavioral Questions & Company Research. Prepare STAR method answers.

Week 6: Prepare for Behavioral and Situational questions. Reflect on past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Prepare examples related to teamwork, problem-solving, handling failure, and leadership. Also, review any specific technologies mentioned in the job description.

Commonly Asked Questions

Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
Design a system like Twitter's feed.
How would you optimize a database query?
Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a teammate and how you resolved it.
What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
Explain the concept of recursion with an example.
How do you handle concurrency issues in multi-threaded applications?
Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
What is the difference between a process and a thread?

Location-Based Differences

Chicago

Interview Focus

Emphasis on practical application of data structures and algorithms in financial scenarios.Understanding of distributed systems and concurrency relevant to high-frequency trading.Problem-solving skills applied to real-time data processing and optimization.

Common Questions

Discuss a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame obstacles.

How do you approach debugging complex systems?

Describe your experience with low-latency systems.

What are your thoughts on functional programming in a trading context?

How do you ensure code quality and maintainability in a production environment?

Tips

Be prepared to discuss specific examples of optimizing code for performance.
Familiarize yourself with common data structures and algorithms used in quantitative finance.
Understand the challenges of building and maintaining low-latency systems.
Showcase your ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

New York

Interview Focus

Assessment of experience with scalable architectures and cloud technologies.Evaluation of problem-solving skills in the context of distributed systems.Understanding of software development lifecycle and best practices.

Common Questions

How do you handle large-scale data processing and analysis?

Describe your experience with cloud-based infrastructure and services.

What are your strategies for ensuring system reliability and scalability?

How do you stay updated with the latest technologies in software development?

Tell me about a time you had to influence a technical decision within a team.

Tips

Highlight your experience with cloud platforms like AWS or Azure.
Be ready to discuss system design principles for scalability and fault tolerance.
Demonstrate your understanding of CI/CD pipelines and automated testing.
Showcase your ability to communicate technical concepts clearly.

Process Timeline

1
Technical Screen - DSA45m
2
System Design60m
3
Behavioral & Fit30m

Interview Rounds

3-step process with detailed breakdown for each round

1

Technical Screen - DSA

Assess core DSA knowledge through coding problems.

Data Structures And Algorithms InterviewMedium
45 minSoftware Engineer / Senior Software Engineer

This round focuses on assessing your core data structures and algorithms knowledge. You will be presented with coding problems that require you to implement solutions using appropriate data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will evaluate your ability to write clean, efficient, and correct code, as well as your understanding of time and space complexity. You'll be expected to explain your thought process throughout the problem-solving exercise.

What Interviewers Look For

Logical thinking.Ability to break down complex problems.Proficiency in coding.Understanding of fundamental algorithms and data structures.

Evaluation Criteria

Correctness of the solution.
Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity).
Clarity of code and explanation.
Problem-solving approach.

Questions Asked

Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.

TreeRecursionIteration

Find the kth smallest element in a sorted matrix.

MatrixBinary SearchHeap

Implement a queue using two stacks.

StackQueueData Structures

Preparation Tips

1Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on medium difficulty.
2Be prepared to explain your approach and justify your choice of data structures and algorithms.
3Write code on a whiteboard or shared editor, simulating the interview environment.
4Think out loud and communicate your thought process clearly.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Inability to articulate thought process.
Incorrect or inefficient algorithm implementation.
Poor understanding of time and space complexity.
Lack of clarity in explanations.
2

System Design

Assess system design and architectural skills.

System Design InterviewHard
60 minSenior Software Engineer / Engineering Manager

This round evaluates your ability to design and architect complex software systems. You will be given a high-level problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, or a real-time analytics system) and asked to propose a solution. The focus is on your understanding of scalability, reliability, performance, and trade-offs involved in building large-scale systems.

What Interviewers Look For

System design thinking.Ability to handle scale and complexity.Knowledge of distributed systems.Pragmatic approach to problem-solving.

Evaluation Criteria

Scalability of the proposed design.
Robustness and fault tolerance.
Understanding of trade-offs.
Clarity and completeness of the design.
Consideration of various system components (databases, caching, load balancing).

Questions Asked

Design a distributed caching system.

System DesignDistributed SystemsCaching

Design a rate limiter.

System DesignAPI DesignConcurrency

Design a system to count unique visitors to a website.

System DesignBig DataCounting

Preparation Tips

1Study common system design patterns and architectures.
2Practice designing various systems, considering aspects like data storage, APIs, caching, and load balancing.
3Be prepared to discuss trade-offs between different design choices.
4Think about potential bottlenecks and failure points.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Inability to design scalable and robust systems.
Lack of understanding of distributed systems concepts.
Poor trade-off analysis.
Not considering edge cases or failure scenarios.
3

Behavioral & Fit

Assess behavioral competencies and cultural fit.

Behavioral InterviewMedium
30 minHiring Manager / HR Representative

This round focuses on your behavioral and situational responses. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle challenges, work in teams, and your motivations. The goal is to understand your personality, work ethic, and how well you would fit into Akuna Capital's culture. Prepare to provide specific examples using the STAR method.

What Interviewers Look For

Teamwork and collaboration skills.Problem-solving approach in real-world scenarios.Motivation and passion for software engineering.Cultural alignment with Akuna Capital.

Evaluation Criteria

Communication clarity.
Behavioral competencies (teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability).
Motivation and alignment with company values.
Self-awareness and reflection.

Questions Asked

Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague.

BehavioralTeamworkConflict Resolution

Describe a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.

BehavioralProject ExperienceTechnical Skills

How do you stay updated with new technologies?

BehavioralLearningMotivation

Preparation Tips

1Prepare examples for common behavioral questions (e.g., teamwork, conflict resolution, overcoming challenges, failures).
2Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
3Be honest and authentic in your responses.
4Show enthusiasm for the role and the company.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Poor communication skills.
Lack of enthusiasm or interest.
Inability to provide specific examples.
Poor cultural fit.
Lack of self-awareness.

Commonly Asked DSA Questions

Frequently asked coding questions at Akuna Capital

View all
Count and SayMEDIUMNumber of IslandsMEDIUMMap Sum PairsMEDIUMFlood FillEASYDelete and EarnMEDIUMCherry PickupHARDNetwork Delay TimeMEDIUMCan Make Palindrome from SubstringMEDIUMCritical Connections in a NetworkHARDDice Roll SimulationHARD