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Interview tactics & AI tooling

Practical guides for using AI in tech interviews — what works, what doesn't, and where the line is. Updated weekly.

·8 min read·AI models · GPT-5.6

GPT-5.6 vs Claude Opus 5 for Coding Interviews: When to Pick Which

A head-to-head on GPT-5.6 Sol and Claude Opus 5 for live coding interviews — reflex speed, algorithm accuracy, edge-case reasoning, and cost per interview.

·12 min read·behavioral · STAR

Behavioral Interview Cheat Sheet: 50 STAR-Format Answer Templates

50 STAR-format templates for the most common behavioral interview questions — conflict, leadership, failure, ambiguity — organized by role level and company family.

·7 min read·AI models · coding interview

Why Multi-Model AI Beats Single-Model AI in Live Coding Interviews

GPT-5.6 Terra for reflex answers, Claude Sonnet 5 for nuanced reasoning, Opus 5 for the hardest problems — when to switch models mid-interview and why.

·6 min read·stealth · screen share

What Interviewers Can (and Cannot) See on a Screen Share in 2026

Exactly what a technical interviewer can observe on a Zoom, Meet, or Teams screen share — mouse position, notifications, taskbar, overlays — and what stays hidden.

·9 min read·prep · timeline

The Complete Coding Interview Prep Timeline — 12 Weeks with AI

A week-by-week 12-week plan for coding interview prep — pattern practice, mocks, system design, behavioral — with an AI copilot embedded at each stage.

·10 min read·system design · mermaid

System Design Cheat Sheet: 20 Mermaid Diagram Templates for Common Questions

Copy-paste Mermaid templates for the 20 most common system-design interview questions — Twitter feed, URL shortener, Uber dispatch, rate limiter, and more.

·7 min read·stealth · screen share

How to Hide an App from Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams Screen Share (2026)

Exactly what Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams can and cannot see when you share your screen — and how a stealth overlay app stays invisible.

·8 min read·leetcode · coding interview

How to Solve a LeetCode Medium in Under 15 Minutes with GPT-5.6

A repeatable process for solving LeetCode Medium problems fast using an AI copilot — hypothesis, screenshot, verify, code, test, complexity — with concrete examples.

·5 min read·mock interview · FAANG

AI vs Human Mock Interviews: Which Actually Helps You Get FAANG Offers

When mock interviews with humans (Pramp, Interviewing.io) outperform AI, when it's the reverse, and how to combine both for the best offer rate.

·5 min read·system design · mermaid

Mermaid Diagram Templates for System Design Interviews

Copy-paste Mermaid templates for the four diagrams every system-design interview expects: high-level flowchart, request sequence, ER data model, and state machine.

·7 min read·theory · cheat sheet

Verbal Theory Questions in Tech Interviews: One-Sentence Answer Cheat Sheet

The 30 most common verbal theory questions in software-engineering interviews and a one-sentence answer for each. Also: how to handle them in real time with AI.

·5 min read·coding interview · AI interview

How to Use AI for Live Coding Interviews — A 2026 Playbook

Concrete workflow for using AI during a real-time coding interview: hotkey-screenshot capture, on-screen overlays, click-through transparency, and where the line is.

·6 min read·system design · AI interview

Best AI Tools for System Design Interviews in 2026

A practical comparison of AI tools for system-design interviews — what works for whiteboard prep, what works during a live round, and where each falls short.