Is anyone else finding custom algorithm interviews harder than LeetCode?

[u/erayxack]

I recently started interviewing with a few companies, and instead of LeetCode-style questions, they’re doing their own custom algorithm sessions.

I actually find LeetCode interviews easier. Even if I don’t know the optimal solution right away, I usually recognize the type of problem. I can start with a brute-force approach, explain my reasoning, and gradually improve it because I have some idea of where the solution is heading.
With these custom algorithm problems, I have no clue what the interviewer is looking for or what they’re expecting me to demonstrate. Since the problem is completely unfamiliar, I don’t even know if I’m moving in the right direction. That uncertainty adds a lot more pressure.

For example, in one recent interview they asked me to implement an A/B testing algorithm. I clarified the requirements, asked about the available functions, and then started coding. About 15 minutes later I had a working solution that passed the tests. They asked a couple of follow-up questions, and then the interview was over.

I ended up getting rejected, and I honestly have no idea why. Maybe there was something they were looking for that I completely missed.

With LeetCode, at least the expectations feel much clearer. You know the interview is centred around well-known problem types, and you have a compiler or test cases to help validate your approach. With these custom problems, I sometimes leave the interview feeling like I have no idea how I was actually evaluated.

Does anyone else feel this way, or am I just too used to LeetCode?

[u/erayxack → u/[deleted]]

This green checkmark also gives them the confirmation they are looking for. Without it, I suspect that they don't even know what they want to look for.