Hi everyone, my name is Greg. I've been working in web development since 2020. A few years ago, I started my journey into LeetCoding. Over this time, I've gathered several key insights that I'd like to share with you!
Where LeetCode shines?
It helps develop algorithmic and abstract thinking, and builds a solid foundation for competitive programming. It gives you confidence during live coding interviews and when tackling non-trivial problems. It trains you to mentally visualize complex data structures and their relationships, map out entire solutions in advance, evaluate asymptotic complexity, and write highly performant, optimized code.
Where LeetCode falls short?
The vast majority of product development tasks revolve around working with frameworks and APIs, making deep DSA knowledge less directly applicable day-to-day. LeetCode won't teach you product mindset, system architecture, teamwork, or how to maintain a legacy codebase. The main takeaway: LeetCode can make you a great programmer, but not necessarily a great software engineer.
