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Maven Clinic·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
May 2026

Summary

Maven Clinic coding screen for a software engineer role. One problem, a twist on the classic meeting rooms question, but with a mandatory break time between meetings and a non-trivial time format to deal with.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Given an array of meeting intervals in HHMM integer format and a required break duration in minutes, determine whether a person can attend all meetings while maintaining at least that break between consecutive meetings.

Algorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

The sorting part was fine.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

First, clarify the input format and edge cases, then convert each HHMM time to minutes since midnight. Sort the intervals by start time and check if the gap between the end of one meeting and the start of the next is at least the required break duration. If any gap is insufficient, return false; otherwise, return true.

Pro tip: Mention that you would handle invalid inputs gracefully and discuss the time complexity (O(n log n) due to sorting) to show awareness of efficiency. Also, consider if meetings can overlap or if the array is empty.

1. Clarify requirements and edge cases

Ask about input format (e.g., HHMM as integer, break duration in minutes), whether meetings can overlap, and if the array can be empty. Confirm expected output (boolean).

2. Convert times to minutes

Convert each HHMM integer to minutes since midnight (e.g., 0930 -> 570) to simplify arithmetic. Handle invalid times (e.g., 1260) if necessary.

3. Sort intervals by start time

Sort the meetings based on their start times. This allows a linear scan to check consecutive meetings.

4. Check gaps between meetings

Iterate through sorted meetings and compute the gap between the end of the current meeting and the start of the next. If any gap is less than the required break, return false.

5. Return result and analyze complexity

If all gaps are sufficient, return true. Discuss time complexity (O(n log n) due to sorting) and space complexity (O(1) extra if sorting in-place).

Key Points to Mention

  • Time conversion from HHMM to minutes since midnight
  • Sorting intervals by start time
  • Checking gap between consecutive meetings
  • Handling edge cases: empty array, single meeting, overlapping meetings
  • Time complexity: O(n log n) due to sorting
  • Space complexity: O(1) if sorting in-place, otherwise O(n)

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