#176 - Acing the System Design Interview - Zhiyong Tan

“Always remember that system design interview is not about perfection. It is about trade-offs and being able to communicate them clearly and concisely." Zhiyong Tan is the author of “Acing the System Design Interview”. In this episode, he joins me in demystifying the system design interview process. He shares insights into what to expect, how to tackle common challenges like time management, anxiety, and knowledge gaps, and reveals the core principles that guide successful system design interview. Zhiyong dives deep into common pitfalls, offering advice on handling tricky topics like requirements gathering, data consistency, scaling problems, and service design. He also provides practical tips on how to learn and grow from system design interview failures, turning setbacks into stepping stones towards success. Whether you’re a seasoned engineer or just starting your tech career, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable advice to help you ace your next system design interview.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:01:43] System Design Interview - [00:05:03] Trade-offs - [00:07:36] Managing the Time - [00:09:51] Handling What You Don’t Know - [00:13:27] Managing Anxiety - [00:15:40] System Design Interview Principles - [00:18:32] Non-Functional Requirements - [00:21:22] Data Consistency - [00:25:11] Database Scaling Problem - [00:28:41] Distributed Transactions - [00:33:09] Functional Requirements & API Design - [00:36:31] Failing System Design Interview - [00:38:38] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:42:02] _____ Zhiyong Tan’s BioZhiyong Tan is the author of Acing the System Design Interview. He is the founder of Tingxie, an app for learning Chinese as a second language. Previously, he was an Engineering Manager and Staff Engineer at PayPal, a senior software engineer at Uber, and a software and data engineer at various startups. Follow Zhiyong: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/zytan Acing System Design Interview – https://www.manning.com/books/acing-the-system-design-interview Tingxie (iOS) – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/%E5%90%AC%E5%86%99-chinese-spelling-dictation/id6462944919 Tingxie (Android) – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhiyong.tingxie Jointgoals.com – https://www.jointgoals.com/ Manning forum – https://livebook.manning.com/forum _____ Our Sponsors Enjoy an exceptional developer experience with JetBrains. Whatever programming language and technology you use, JetBrains IDEs provide the tools you need to go beyond simple code editing and excel as a developer.Check out FREE coding software options and special offers on jetbrains.com/store/#discounts.Make it happen. With code. Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/176. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.