Hey Reader,

Most engineers complain that tech companies use DSA for interviews.

• "It's not relevant to real work."
• "It's just gatekeeping."
• "Why can't they test actual project skills?"

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After being on both sides as a candidate and a hiring manager at Google, I've realized something:

DSA is the best thing that has ever happened to engineers trying to switch jobs.

Here's why.

Imagine if companies stopped using DSA tomorrow.

What would interviews look like?

• Google tests you on Google Cloud architecture, Kubernetes, and their internal tools
• Amazon tests you on AWS services, their leadership principles scenarios, and e-commerce scale problems
• Microsoft tests you on Azure, .NET ecosystem, and enterprise software patterns
• Flipkart tests you on Indian e-commerce specifics, payment systems, logistics
• That Series A startup tests you on their exact tech stack: React Native, Firebase, their specific backend framework

You'd need different preparation for EVERY single company.

Applying to 10 companies? That's 10 different study plans

Applying to 50 companies? Impossible.

Your job search would take 6 months minimum because you'd need to:

• Learn company-specific tech stacks
• Understand their domain problems
• Study their internal tooling and practices
• Prepare custom projects for each

Career mobility would collapse.

DSA gives you something no other interview format can:

Prepare once. Apply everywhere.

The same DSA preparation that gets you into Google also works for:

• Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Netflix
• Flipkart, Swiggy, Razorpay, CRED
• Series A startups to unicorns
• Fintech, edtech, healthtech, etc

You solve arrays, trees, graphs, and DP.

That's it. Same problems. Same patterns. Same preparation.

One study plan. Fifty opportunities.

This is why I say DSA is a gift, not a barrier.

Yes, it's hard. Yes, it takes 3-4 months of consistent practice.

But compare that to the alternative:

• Learning Google Cloud AND AWS AND Azure for different applications
• Understanding 10 different company domains deeply
• Building custom projects for each company's tech stack

DSA is the MOST efficient interview system ever created for candidates.

It's predictable. It's portable. It's fair.

A Tier-3 college student in Jaipur can prepare the same way as an IIT grad in Mumbai.

Same LeetCode. Same patterns. Same opportunity.

The real cost of avoiding DSA:

When you avoid DSA, you're not just losing one opportunity. You're losing ALL opportunities simultaneously.

Because the moment you decide "I'll only apply to companies that don't test DSA," you've eliminated:

• 90% of product companies
• 95% of high-paying roles (25 LPA+)
• 100% of FAANG and top-tier startups

You're left with a tiny subset of companies that either:

• Pay significantly less
• Have less structured growth paths
• Or still test problem-solving, just less transparently

Here's what changed for me:

I avoided DSA for 2 years after college. Stayed stuck at service companies (8-12 LPA range).

Then I spent 4 months preparing DSA seriously.

After that:

• Applied to 15 companies in 2 months
• Got interviews at 12 (80% conversion)
• Received 4 offers
• Jumped from 12 LPA to 28 LPA

Same preparation. Multiple opportunities.

That's the power of DSA standardization.

If each company had tested different things, I'd still be preparing. Or worse, still stuck.

Your 8-week roadmap to unlock every door:

I've created a DSA roadmap that focuses on one goal: prepare once, apply everywhere.

​Download the free roadmap here​

The roadmap covers:

• The 8-topic core that 95% of companies test (Arrays → DP)
• Topic-wise, must solve questions that map 1:1 with the algorithms and repeat across companies

This isn't about becoming a competitive programmer. It's about unlocking career mobility.

Based on responses, I'll cover the most common challenge in the upcoming week's issues.

Start intentionally. Stay consistent.

-Abhishek

The Guided Growth