A review of Daily Coding Problem for software engineering interview prep – 2023 update

A review of Daily Coding Problem for software engineering interview prep – 2023 update

Updated in 2023

What does Daily Coding Problem do?

Daily Coding Problem is a free subscription-based mailing list that sends one software engineering practice problem per day. They send questions that are based on actual technical interviews at top companies such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon

The premium plan sends subscribers the complete solution the next day, as well as additional tips and guides. Each problem is meant to be solved in 1 hour, as you would in a real interview. Topics include linked lists, heaps, trees, and graphs. It also has randomized and functional algorithms, dynamic programming and backtracking, arrays, and more. All of their solutions are in Python, though they are working to add new languages.

Photo of Daily Coding Problem
Photo of Daily Coding Interview prep

 

Who is Daily Coding Problem for?

Software engineers with an understanding of data structures and algorithms who are looking to prepare for upcoming technical interviews could benefit from subscribing. The questions are especially useful for self-taught coders and bootcamp grads who are trying to get up to speed with CS majors. It is ideal for people who can only commit to working on 1 practice problem per day.

What does Daily Coding Problem cost? How much work is involved?

While subscribing to Daily Coding Problem is free, the premium version costs $9 per month or $90 per year. To join, users just need to enter their email address. Once you subscribe, you can decide to upgrade to the premium plan by adding payment information.

Ratings and reviews

There are not too many reviews of Daily Coding Problem, but the ones that exist are mixed. While one reviewer on Product Hunt felt like he benefited from the questions, he struggled to keep up with daily emails. He noted that he “would love to see the frequency controllable, and the price for the solutions a bit cheaper, or an alternative trial week.” 

Another user reports experiencing poor customer service. He said, “I sent several emails asking for help” but the “founders are too busy to respond to a paid subscriber.” Similarly, one Reddit user struggled to cancel their subscription, while another user responded by telling him that he needed to “email the creators with unsubscribe in subject.”

Alternatives to Daily Coding Problem

If you decide not to subscribe to Daily Coding Problem, there are a number of alternatives to help prepare you for your technical interviews. 

  • A good option is AlgoExpert. This is a platform where software engineers can practice questions that cover a variety of interview topics.
  • Perhaps the most popular option, Leetcode has over 1,050 software engineer interview-type questions, hundreds of thousands of users, and an active discussion board.
  • Coderbyte offer a mix of free and paid resources and challenges for software engineers looking to practice their skills. Read more about Coderbyte in our review.
  • HackerRank, a common tool used by companies to evaluate software engineering applicants, offers practice questions in the environment that people will likely be tested in.
  • Created by a former Google software engineer, Interview Cake is a study tool that teaches people the right way to think about technical questions so they do well in interviews. Read more about Interview Cake in our review.
  • Similarly, Codebasil features questions written by software engineers at top tech companies like Facebook, Apple, and Amazon.
  • Learneroo and Edabit are additional study tools that software engineers can use to practice technical questions that will likely come up in interviews.
  • Software engineers can use the tracks offered by Educative to brush up on skills or practice for specific-language interviews.
  • For people looking to prep with real world problems, CodeKata provides challenges that mimic requests from real tech companies.
More alternatives
  • By gamifying software engineering interview question prep, CodinGame allows users to participate in competition-based challenges in one of their 25+ supported languages.
  • Similarly, software engineers can engage in company-sponsored competitions on CodeSignal.
  • Codewars also uses challenges, which are written by community members, to gamify interview practice problems.
  • Like DCP, Quastor has a free newsletter with software engineering interview questions. In addition, they offer a free online course.
  • Those looking to participate in mock interviews with software engineers at top tech companies should check out Interviewing.io. Learn more about Interviewing.io in our review.
  • Pramp, Tech Mock Interview, and Gainlo are other resources for software engineers looking for mock interview prep with their peers or anonymous engineers.
  • With exercises in Python and JavaScript for beginners and advanced engineers, CheckiO is a good free resource to check out.

How does Daily Coding Problem compare to Pathrise?

Daily Coding Problem is a good tool for software engineers looking to practice hour-long problems to prepare for their technical interviews. While they do send out solutions for premium members, they do not provide any 1-on-1 instruction or other job-seeking guidance.

Pathrise is a full service organization that guides job-seekers through each step of their job search. We work extensively with software engineers by providing technical workshops, 1-on-1 mentoring sessions, and pair programming sessions. We also help our fellows with resumes and LinkedIn optimization, behavioral interview preparation, and salary negotiation.

Because advancing technical skills is a crucial component of the job search, software engineers can use the service in conjunction with Pathrise. You can also check out our list of 93 software engineering interview questions from top tech companies to practice.

Pathrise is a career accelerator that works with students and professionals 1-on-1 so they can land their dream job in tech. With our tips and guidance, we’ve seen our fellows interview performance scores double.

If you are interested in working 1-on-1 with any of our mentors to optimize your job search, become a Pathrise fellow. 

Apply today.

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Brian Wong

Brian Wong is an experienced senior software engineer and has worked at top bay area startups and organizations. In his free time, Brian works with Pathrise SWE fellows to help them land their dream job and learn insider tips on how to ace technical interviews.

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