Is DSA worth it in 2024?

Summary

In this 2024 video, the speaker reflects on their journey with Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA), starting from college days with C++ and participating in ICPC. They share insights on the importance of DSA in remote software development interviews, emphasizing the difficulty of toptal's DSA interviews compared to ad hoc and big companies. The 'butterfly effect' of DSA is highlighted, showing its significant impact on career opportunities. Tips for learning DSA include consistency, solving hard problems, and aiming for ACM ICPC. The speaker concludes by discussing the ease of DSA interviews for remote jobs, suggesting early and thorough preparation to avoid repetitive learning.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker started learning Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) in 2014, focusing on C++ and competitive programming platforms like SPOJ and Codeforces.
• 🏆 Motivation for DSA increased with the goal of participating in the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), aiming for World Finals.
• 📉 Interest in competitive programming declined after not making it to the World Finals and starting full-time development work in 2016.
• 🔍 DSA knowledge is crucial for remote software development interviews, especially on freelancing platforms like Toptal, which can be very challenging.
• 💼 Small to mid-sized companies may not emphasize DSA as much as larger companies or freelancing platforms in their interviews.
• 🦋 The 'butterfly effect' of learning DSA has had a significant impact on the speaker's career, potentially leading to remote job opportunities.
• 📚 Consistency is key in learning DSA, and having an end goal such as ICPC can drive focused learning.
• 🤝 Learning in small groups, especially with a knowledgeable peer, can greatly enhance understanding and skill development in DSA.
• 🏆 World Finals participation in ACM ICPC is a significant achievement that can provide a career advantage.
• 📉 As life progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to revisit DSA, emphasizing the importance of building a strong foundation early on.
• 🔑 Having a solid grasp of DSA early in one's career can simplify future interviews and job transitions, as complex algorithms may not be frequently used in day-to-day work.

Q & A

What is the speaker's history with data structures and algorithms (DSA)?

The speaker started learning DSA in 2014 when they joined college, focusing on C++ and algorithmic problem-solving on platforms like SPOJ and Codeforces. Their motivation increased after learning about the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), and they prepared aggressively for it in 2015 and 2016.

How did the speaker's involvement with ICPC influence their DSA journey?

The speaker's motivation to learn DSA increased significantly after hearing about ICPC and the opportunity to travel to the World Finals. Although they never made it to the World Finals, it provided a good goal to aim for and helped them to prepare diligently.

What was the speaker's experience with remote software development interviews in terms of DSA?

The speaker found that DSA is heavily emphasized in interviews for freelancing platforms like Toptal, less so in small to mid-sized companies, and even less in large companies, especially if the candidate has a basic understanding of DSA from college.

How did DSA play a significant role in the speaker's life and career?

DSA had a butterfly effect in the speaker's life, leading them to a remote job at Toptal, which they might not have pursued without their DSA skills. This suggests that DSA can open up opportunities that might not be initially apparent.

What advice does the speaker give for learning DSA effectively?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of consistency, having an end goal, learning in small groups, participating in contests, and solving hard problems to improve one's DSA skills.

Why is it beneficial to have 'World Finals' on one's resume according to the speaker?

Having 'World Finals' on a resume can give a candidate an edge, as it indicates a high level of competence in DSA, which can be beneficial when applying for jobs or internships.

What is the speaker's perspective on the necessity of DSA for a developer's career?

The speaker believes that while DSA might not be used frequently in day-to-day development work, it is necessary for getting through job interviews and should be learned early and well to avoid having to relearn it later.

What are the speaker's thoughts on the difficulty of DSA interviews for remote jobs?

The speaker finds most DSA interviews for remote jobs to be fairly simple, especially for those who have prepared for ICPC or have a strong foundation in DSA from college.

Can you provide an example of an easy ad hoc problem the speaker mentioned from a remote job interview?

One example given is a problem where candidates are asked to print out a file structure based on a given directory listing, similar to the output of the 'ls' command in a Unix-like system.

What was the difficult problem from a freelancing platform interview that the speaker discussed?

The difficult problem involved a grid of numbers where the candidate had to determine the minimum number of operations needed to transform an initial configuration of numbers into a final configuration, with operations defined as horizontal or vertical swaps of adjacent numbers.

What is the speaker's final advice regarding DSA preparation for those targeting remote jobs?

The speaker advises doing DSA preparation early and doing it well, especially for those targeting companies like Toptal or larger companies in India, as it can make the interview process easier and is a skill that will be useful throughout one's career.