Samsara's L5 Senior SWE I interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit. The process typically involves multiple rounds, including technical interviews, a system design interview, and a behavioral interview, culminating in a hiring manager discussion.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~14d
Experience·5 - 10 yrs
Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000
Interview time·180 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice 2-3 medium LeetCode problems daily.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, recursion). Practice implementing these in your preferred language and analyze their time and space complexity. Aim for 2-3 medium LeetCode problems per day.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles. Study scalability, databases, caching. Practice 1 system design problem daily.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design principles. Study topics like scalability, availability, reliability, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), caching, load balancing, and microservices. Read system design case studies and practice designing common systems. Aim to complete one system design problem per day.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Behavioral preparation. Use STAR method for examples. Align with Samsara's values.
Week 5: Prepare for behavioral questions. Reflect on your past projects and experiences, identifying examples that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and handling challenges. Use the STAR method to structure your answers. Research Samsara's company values and prepare to align your experiences with them.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Mock interviews. Practice communication and time management. Review relevant technologies.
Week 6: Mock interviews. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors to simulate the interview environment. Focus on communication, clarity of thought, and time management. Review any specific technologies mentioned in the job description or relevant to Samsara's stack.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 02 locations
01 / 02Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
Technical Interview (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer
This round focuses on your fundamental programming skills. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to write clean, efficient, and correct code, as well as your problem-solving approach and communication skills. Expect to write code in a shared editor and explain your thought process throughout.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
Find the kth smallest element in a binary search tree.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Engineering Manager
This round evaluates your ability to design complex, scalable, and reliable software systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design Twitter's feed, design a URL shortener) and expected to break it down, discuss requirements, propose a high-level architecture, and then dive deeper into specific components. Focus on trade-offs, scalability, and potential issues.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a system like TinyURL.
Design a real-time notification system.
Design a distributed key-value store.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager / Senior Team Member
This round focuses on your past experiences, work style, and how you collaborate with others. You'll be asked behavioral questions designed to understand your strengths, weaknesses, how you handle conflict, your leadership potential, and your motivation. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide concrete examples.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague.
Describe a project where you took initiative or demonstrated leadership.
How do you handle constructive criticism?
Why are you interested in Samsara?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Hiring Manager Interview · 30 min · Hiring Manager
This is typically the final round where the hiring manager assesses your overall fit for the team and the role. They will likely ask questions to gauge your motivation, career aspirations, and how you would contribute to the team's success. This is also your opportunity to ask any remaining questions you have about the role, team, or company.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
What are your long-term career goals?
What are you looking for in your next role?
Do you have any questions for me?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Samsara loops
Other guides
