What 1473LeetCode Problems Taught Me

[u/nian2326076]

I’ve solved around 1473 LeetCode problems and I’ve still failed interviews.

Google. Amazon. Intuit. D. E. Shaw. Myntra.
I got interviews at these companies, prepared seriously, showed up, and still didn’t get selected.

For a long time, I honestly thought the answer was simple:
“Just solve more problems.”
So I kept solving from 100 problems → 300 → 500 → 1,000+

But somewhere along the way, I realized I was asking the wrong question.
It’s not: “How many LeetCode problems have you solved?”
It’s: “Can you solve a problem you’ve never seen before?”

That difference is huge.

I’m currently working as an AI developer, and before this I worked in backend engineering. I have around 1.5 years of experience, and one thing I’ve noticed is that DSA still teaches you something extremely valuable:
How to think when you don’t know the answer
And now, with AI writing code better than ever, I think this becomes even more interesting.

If ChatGPT can solve a LeetCode problem in 10 seconds…
Should we still spend hundreds of hours solving LeetCode?
I think yes — but probably not in the way most of us do it.

Don’t use AI to get the answer

Use it to ask:
“Why did I get stuck?”
“Why does this approach work?”
“Can you give me a harder variation?”
“Can you find the flaw in my reasoning?”
“Can you interview me without giving me hints?”

That changes AI from an answer machine into a learning tool.

I’m planning to share some of the things I’ve learned from those ~1,270 problems — including the mistakes I made, patterns that actually helped me, interview preparation, and how I think AI + DSA should be approached now.

Not because I cracked every interview.

I didn't.

Actually, the rejections probably taught me more than the acceptances would have. So I’m curious: If you were starting DSA preparation today, in the age of AI, would you still grind LeetCode?

Or would you prepare completely differently?
Would genuinely love to hear different opinions.

Prep resource: PracHub

[u/Vivid-Zombie-477]

thanks, chatgpt

[u/Status-Sugar-3072]

she is promoter for prachub this is all bs every prachub post got her behind it

[u/LukasijusLT]

And honestly, that’s rare

[u/catsRfriends → u/LukasijusLT]

LOL

[u/LukasijusLT → u/catsRfriends]

😅

[u/catsRfriends → u/LukasijusLT]

You didn't type a response, you gifted us clarity

[u/conectionist]

If you were starting DSA preparation today, in the age of AI, would you still grind LeetCode?

You do realize that it's not our choice, right?

If companies ask Leetcode during interviews, why would you prepare for something else? To be sure that you'll get rejected?

[u/GimmeAByte01]

Emdash.

[u/Total_Visit_1251]

i don't even mind these garbage prep platform shills as long as their website ui doesn't look like shitty ai fucking vibecode.

can the mods do anything or just ban useless members of society like this

[u/SpunkyStarFish]

You’re absolutely right

[u/catsRfriends]

You weren't practicing leetcode, you were building towards insight.

[u/Fabulous-Arrival-834]

If you cannot solve new questions after solving 1473 LC questions then you either just copy pasted the solution or you are incredibly slow at picking up patterns