Razorpay

Role: Senior SDE

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: October 2024

Interview Type: Off-Campus

Result: Rejected

Difficulty: Hard

Rounds: 2 rounds

Topics Asked: Machine Coding (Java, in-memory database design), System Design

Experience:

The candidate was contacted by a recruiter on LinkedIn for a Senior SDE role. The overall interview experience was described as "worst interview experience of my life" due to the interviewer's behavior.

Round 1: Machine Coding
The interviewer was perceived as "ego tripping" and initially asked an advanced Java question. When the candidate expressed willingness to try, an "easier statement" was given: design an in-memory MongoDB from scratch with all constraints. The candidate managed to clear this round despite the interviewer making them "feel small and worthless."

Round 2: System Design
The interviewer asked the candidate to design a "current trending app." The candidate explained their approach and possible solutions, but the interviewer provided no feedback on expectations. The candidate felt rejected potentially due to not being from a Tier 1 college, noting both interviewers were from IIITs.

The candidate expressed frustration with the difficulty and lack of feedback, especially for a 3 YOE candidate.