Casey's Blog

I. Data Structure & Algorithm (DS&A) Learn Python https://www.programiz.com/python-programming/first-program Fluent Python, Second Edition Practice LeetCode with Python https://algo.monster https://seanprashad.com/leetcode-patterns/ https://neetcode.io/ Structure ( REACTO ) Read/Repeat Examples Approach/Algorithm Code Test Optimize/Big O Notations 45 Min Interview Intro (5 min) Example and Approach + Time/Space Complexities (15 min) Code + Test and Optimization (20 min) Q&A (5 min) II. System Design Whiteboard https://excalidraw.com Resources System Design Interview (YouTube Channel) by Mikhail Smarshchok System Design Thinking - System Design for Interviews and Beyond by Mikhail Smarshchok System Design Interview - An Insider's Guide by Alex Xu System Design Interview - An Insider's Guide: Volume 2 by Alex Xu, Sahn Lam The System Design Primer Designing Data-Intensive Applications (DDIA) by Martin Kleppmann Internetworking with TCP/IP Vol.1: Principles, Protocols, ...

It's important to spend your forty-hour workweek on something that not only compensates you optimally but also helps you grow and build accomplishments. But outside of work, you should also enjoy life and spend your paycheck. Wealth comes not from saving frugally but from becoming an executive, pursuing entrepreneurship, and/or investing successfully. As long as you are growing in your full-time career, the money will come. And the money will be more than what you can bring in on the side. So don't spend the few extra hours you have outside of work on starting a side business, or learning a skill that you will probably never use again. Rather, you should spend the time and money on experiences you will never have the energy to do as you age. And if you are not growing in your career, nothing you do can compensate for that. So when that happens, focus on interview preparation and landing your next role. Then you can focus while at work and enjoy life outside of work.

 SDE1  SDE2  Vancouver  $CAD 60,000*(1-22.35%)  = $CAD 46,590  $CAD 90,000*(1-24.50%)  = $CAD 67,950  Seattle  $USD 150,000*(1-25.11%)  = $USD 112,339  *1.4 CAD/USD  = $CAD 157,275  $USD 210,000*(1-26.66%)  = $USD $154,013  *1.4 CAD/USD  = $CAD 215,618  $ Difference  $CAD 110,685  $CAD 147,668  Pay Gap  30 cents on the dollar   32 cents on the dollar Sources: Canadian Income Tax Calculator:  https://simpletax.ca/calculator Washington Income Tax Calculator:  https://smartasset.com/taxes/washington-tax-calculator https://angel.co/salaries https://www.levels.fyi/ https://www.teamblind.com/

At the beginning of your career, it's more important to build a strong technical foundation. What this means is a deep understanding of reality and how things work. A deep understanding comes from knowledge or experience, which means having seen or done things. Only then can you begin to see patterns and think in more abstract terms. Only then can you get things done. After that, use your accomplishments to build your credibility and reputation so you can garner the respect of others. With others' respect, you can build a strong network that will help you navigate the world and get more things done. Armed with both an expertise and a team or a network, you will naturally be invited to a seat at the table. A seat at the table will connect you to other individuals that can give you a broader understanding of the world and a wider network. Others witnessing your growing knowledge and network will want to invite you to their tables as well. All of these invitations and participatio...

BATNA - Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. People give all kinds of advice to negotiation. However, what I have found is that tactics do very little to influence the outcome. Instead, BATNA is all that matters. You have to be willing to walk away because you have a better alternative. It can be the current demand for the product or service that your business is delivering. It can also be the current job that you are holding. So if you are interviewing, don't stop when you have received an offer. Use the new-found confidence to land another one. Only then will you have the basis to compare your true value on the market. A bidding war is oftentimes the best means to achieve the most favorable end; i.e. the highest price for the product or service that your business is delivering.

A respected and well-known brand-name does wonders for your mind. The same product or service can be perceived much more favorably when attached to a brand. The same is with attending a prestigious business school or joining a prestigious firm. The learning may be comparable to other experiences, but the benefit of the doubt and the opportunities naturally attracted to a brand is unparalleled. Two talented individuals may start out in very similar positions, but the doors a brand can open will cause the trajectory of the two individuals to diverge significantly over time. Their performance and potential may be very similar at first, but the lower friction one experiences will enable the individual to accelerate and grow at a faster rate than the other. Over time, it will be harder and harder for the other individual to catch up. This is why you should follow the crowd and pursue what others would think highly of. A common misconception is that you have to trade-off between learning and...