← Instacart Interview Insights
Had seen this one before so the solution came together fast.
Start by clarifying the encoding scheme with examples, then propose a stack-based solution to handle nested patterns. Discuss trade-offs between iterative and recursive approaches, and analyze time/space complexity.
Pro tip: Demonstrate maturity by proactively discussing edge cases like empty strings, invalid input, and deeply nested patterns, and how your solution handles them.
Ask questions to understand the encoding format, constraints, and expected output. Confirm with examples.
Propose using a stack to process nested patterns iteratively, or recursion for clarity. Explain how you'll parse numbers and brackets.
Trace your algorithm on a sample input to verify correctness and identify potential issues.
State the time and space complexity, and discuss trade-offs between different approaches.
Mention how you'd handle empty strings, invalid input, large numbers, and deep nesting.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.