Blog
500 dated posts seeded from the original research pack and organized by series and year.
Search the archive
Search by topic, stage, series, or phrase.
Featured
Why BASIC works for software engineers
BASIC — Breakdown, Assess, Structure, Implement, Check — works for software engineers because it is not just a catchy mnemonic. It is a compact operating system for thinking under…
Why BASIC is better than STAR for SWE interview use cases
Let’s start with the honest version:
A first-person story of using BASIC from start to finish in SWE interviewing
This is a realistic firstperson composite story based on common softwareengineering interview patterns.
BASIC for LeetCode: the most reliable way to think through coding interviews
LeetCode is often treated like a memory contest.
BASIC for system design interviews: the most reliable sequence for thinking at architecture scale
System design interviews are not just “bigger coding interviews.”
Theory Card 006 — Cognitive Load / Breakdown
Cognitive load theory argues that solving unfamiliar problems can consume the same limited mental resources needed to learn and reason clearly. In the Breakdown stage of BASIC,…
Theory Card 007 — Cognitive Load / Assess
Cognitive load theory argues that solving unfamiliar problems can consume the same limited mental resources needed to learn and reason clearly. In the Assess stage of BASIC, the…
Theory Card 008 — Cognitive Load / Structure
Cognitive load theory argues that solving unfamiliar problems can consume the same limited mental resources needed to learn and reason clearly. In the Structure stage of BASIC,…
Theory Card 009 — Cognitive Load / Implement
Cognitive load theory argues that solving unfamiliar problems can consume the same limited mental resources needed to learn and reason clearly. In the Implement stage of BASIC,…
Theory Card 010 — Cognitive Load / Check
Cognitive load theory argues that solving unfamiliar problems can consume the same limited mental resources needed to learn and reason clearly. In the Check stage of BASIC, the…
Browse by series
Why BASIC Works
101 posts.
BASIC vs STAR
101 posts.
First-Person Journey
46 posts.
LeetCode
151 posts.
System Design
101 posts.