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Ask HN: How to study for system design that doesn't include front end/back end?

38 points 3a2d29 | 2 comments | 13 Mar 25 23:32 UTC | HN request time: 0.443s | source

I got a system design interview where I was asked to build a pricer for a financial product, then expand it to multiple pricers that might share inputs.

This was not the typical system design interview where you have to deal with APIs / load balancers / latency / etc

I have studied that a lot, but what about these type of general interviews?

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austin-cheney ◴[14 Mar 25 00:49 UTC] No.43358640[source]▶
There are two aspects to systems design.

* Flow control - This is the logical path the software takes from input, through computation, to output.

* Division of effort - This isn’t your division of labor but the organization of parts to account for reuse, documentation, testing and so on.

With enough practice writing and refactoring original software you just build a vision for it through repeated practice. If that isn’t you then this job may not be a good fit for you.

replies(1): >>43360365 #
1. BOOSTERHIDROGEN ◴[14 Mar 25 07:32 UTC] No.43360365[source]▶
Can this insight be applied to human resources or business organization?
replies(1): >>43360630 #
2. austin-cheney ◴[14 Mar 25 08:33 UTC] No.43360630[source]▶
Business organization is similar but people management is different. With people management you are attempting to ascertain their goals and constantly reading their communication to determine their motivation. As a leader it is up to you to set expectations and it is up to them to rise to those expectations. As for business organization the chief difference is with subordinate leaders, to put the right people in the right seats.