Role: SDE-1 Backend <> Verdict: Selected R1 - Vibe Check Senior leader conversation. R2 - RCA + System Design Senior Leader. RCA: Real production issue. • Root cause identification • Solutions with tradeoffs • Monitoring and prevention Discussd a lot of possible solutions to a problem. System Design: Contextual problem. • Real constraints • Business logic • When NOT to optimize Genuine technical discussion, Defended decisions, challenged assumptions etc. R3 - LLD Assignment Build a working application. • Clean code • SOLID principles • Design patterns • Proper abstractions • Tests and docs Really liked the lack of a DSA round, I feel like system design is a much better metric. Verdict: Selected