The DSA method to crack big-tech offers (topics, approach, resources)

Big-tech and top-paying remote interviews run on Data Structures & Algorithms. You don’t need to grind 1,000 random problems — you need the right topics, the right method, and consistency.

The topics that actually show up (focus here):

• Arrays & Strings, Hashmaps/Sets
• Two Pointers & Sliding Window
• Stacks & Queues
• Recursion & Backtracking
• Binary Search
• Linked Lists
• Trees (BST, traversals) & Tries
• Graphs (BFS/DFS)
• Heaps / Priority Queues
• Dynamic Programming (the one everyone fears — patterns matter more than memorising)

How to approach any problem (the method that gets offers):

1. Learn by pattern, not by problem. Most questions are variations of ~15 patterns. Master the pattern and you solve the whole family.
2. Restate + examples first — never rush to code. Clarify inputs, edge cases, and a brute-force idea.
3. Talk out loud — interviewers score your thinking, not just the answer.
4. Time-box it. Stuck after ~25–30 min? Read the solution, understand it deeply, then redo it from scratch a day later.
5. Track & revisit — keep a sheet; re-solve the ones you missed.

Free resources that actually work:

• NeetCode 150 (neetcode.io) — the curated list + video explanations, grouped by pattern. Best starting point.
• Striver’s A2Z / SDE Sheet (takeuforward.org) — structured, thorough.
• LeetCode — practice; start Easy → Medium, filter by topic.

Consistency beats bursts: 2–3 problems a day for a few months beats 50 in one weekend.