Learn Algorithms for Interviews, Forget Them for Work

Algorithm interviews test narrow skills like reversing a linked list, which rarely appear in production work. Real problems involve messy inputs, tradeoffs, and design decisions like deduplication in a sliding window without bounded memory. The author describes building a UI for Sabre GDS integration instead of a full automated build, shipping value incrementally. They argue that interview skills and production skills are mismatched, and propose honest recognition that algorithms are a credential, not a measure of engineering ability.