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Anthropic·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Senior

Senior
Apr 2026

Summary

Coding interview at Anthropic for a software engineer role. You get a problem, you design a solution in Python, and they want the full package: approach, data structures, clean code, tests, complexity analysis. Pretty thorough for a single round.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Design and implement a Python solution to a given problem, covering your approach, data structure choices, trade-offs, clean modular code, unit tests, and time/space complexity analysis.

Algorithms & Data StructuresTechnical Trade-offsSystem Design
Author's notes

They really did want all of it.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the problem and constraints, then outline your approach with data structure choices and trade-offs. Write clean, modular code with unit tests, and analyze time/space complexity.

Pro tip: Verbalize your thought process and trade-offs as you go; interviewers value clear reasoning over silent coding.

1. Clarify Requirements

Ask questions to understand input/output, constraints, and edge cases. Confirm assumptions before proceeding.

2. Design Approach

Propose an algorithm, justify data structure choices, and discuss trade-offs (e.g., time vs. space).

3. Implement Modular Code

Write clean, well-structured code with functions/classes. Explain key parts as you write.

4. Test and Validate

Walk through unit tests for normal and edge cases. Verify correctness and handle errors.

5. Analyze Complexity

State time and space complexity, and discuss potential optimizations or alternatives.

Key Points to Mention

  • Data structure selection and justification (e.g., hash maps for O(1) lookups)
  • Trade-offs between time and space complexity
  • Modular design and separation of concerns
  • Unit testing with edge cases
  • Big-O analysis for time and space
  • Scalability and potential optimizations

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.