Interview Experience – SDE-1 Backend (Round 3) I was scheduled for a 90-minute Round 3 session explicitly described as a System Design interview covering both High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD). Unfortunately, the actual experience did not reflect this at all. The session started with the interviewer assuming it was my Round 2. I clarified that it was Round 3, which he then cross-checked and confirmed. Despite this, the focus shifted entirely to a brain teaser and a basic coding problem — neither of which aligned with what a system design round is meant to evaluate. There was no discussion on architecture, scalability, or system components at any point. Even the LLD problem given was too narrow to demonstrate any meaningful design thinking — there was no scope to talk about extensibility, evolving requirements, or trade-offs, which are the core expectations of such a round. The interviewer was largely uncommunicative and seemed to be going through the motions. Despite being a 90-minute slot, the session was wrapped up nearly 45 minutes early, with no pivot to the architectural topics I had specifically prepared for. Overall, the evaluation criteria were completely mismatched with the scheduled round. This may have been an isolated instance rather than a reflection of Smallcase's process as a whole, but it was a disappointing experience and worth flagging for future candidates to set the right expectations.

4 rounds - CS fundamentals + DSA + projects - Take home assignment + interview round on that. Was asked to extend one feature on the spot and showcase it live. - HLD round - CTO round