Pharmeasy

Role: SDE-2

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: September 2025

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Hard

Rounds: 5 rounds

Topics Asked: Data Structures, Algorithms, System Design (HLD & LLD), Kafka, Java, DB Schema, SQL, Behavioral

Experience:

This candidate interviewed for an SDE-2 role at PharmEasy in September 2025, describing it as one of the toughest interview processes they had cracked. All rounds were conducted over video calls.

Round 1 — DSA + Work Experience: This round started with a brief introduction and a discussion about the candidate's work at Pine Labs (ISO card payments), including an explanation of how payments work. A DSA problem was given: "Peak Index in a Mountain Array". The candidate solved it in O(log n) and discussed the binary search approach, along with time and space complexities. Basic questions on Kafka and Java were also asked.

Round 2 — DSA + System Design Mix: This round involved explaining the POS payments architecture at Pine Labs. Discussions included caching mechanisms, handling hundreds of requests, Kafka usage, and interaction with payment aggregators. There was some cross-questioning on the architecture decisions.

Round 3 — Low-Level Design: The candidate was asked to design an e-commerce notification service. Topics discussed included prioritizing notifications, Kafka's role in real-time updates, and the choice of Factory Design Pattern with explanations.

Round 4 — High-Level Design + DB: This round continued with e-commerce design, focusing on services and DB schema. Questions were asked about preventing double ordering (locking strategies), communication patterns for services, and correlating tables. The round concluded with an SQL Left Join query.

Round 5 — VP & Culture Fit: This final round involved discussions around PharmEasy's growth plans, the candidate's potential role in the team, and how they mentor juniors and collaborate with peers.

Overall, the candidate found each round mentally draining but rewarding and ultimately received an offer.