Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerSDE 2Medium to Hard

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineer (SDE 2) role at Groupon. It evaluates technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, system design capabilities, and cultural fit.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~7d

Experience·3 - 7 yrs

Comp band·US$120000 - US$150000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving ability
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Code quality and efficiency
  • Debugging skills

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps, heaps).
  2. Practice coding problems focusing on time and space complexity.
  3. Study common system design patterns and principles (e.g., load balancing, caching, database sharding, microservices).
  4. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, focusing on your contributions and technical challenges.
  5. Understand core computer science concepts like operating systems, databases, and networking.
  6. Research Groupon's products, services, and company culture.
  7. Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms. Practice coding problems.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary, BST, AVL), heaps, hash tables, graphs. Practice problems related to searching, sorting, recursion, dynamic programming, and graph traversal. Aim for 2-3 hours of study and practice daily.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Design a rate limiter.
  • Implement a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache.
  • How would you design a distributed key-value store?
  • Explain the CAP theorem and its implications.
  • Describe a time you disagreed with a teammate and how you resolved it.
  • What are the trade-offs between monolithic and microservices architectures?
  • How do you optimize database performance?
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
  • Design a system to handle real-time analytics for a website.
  • What is idempotency and why is it important in distributed systems?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

San Francisco

Interview focus

System design and scalability are often emphasized.Experience with distributed systems and microservices architecture.Proficiency in specific technologies relevant to the local engineering teams (e.g., Java, Python, Go).

Common questions

  • How would you design a URL shortener service?
  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved recently.
  • Explain the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases.
  • How do you ensure scalability and reliability in your applications?
  • Describe your experience with cloud platforms like AWS or Azure.

Tips

  • Research the specific tech stack used by the Groupon office in this location.
  • Be prepared to discuss large-scale system design challenges.
  • Highlight any experience with A/B testing or experimentation frameworks.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at Groupon.

Frequently reported on Groupon loops

View all at Groupon

Other guides

More at Groupon.