Lightspeed Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

So, the process kicked off with a quick screening, then a technical interview focusing on system design. After that, there was another round where we went deeper into technical stuff and did some code review. The HR team communicated really well, and the interviewers were professional and to the point. They really drilled down on Python basics, concurrency, messaging systems like Kafka and RabbitMQ, transactions, and system design in general. They expected a high level of technical understanding, especially with things like Python's context managers, decorators, and concurrency tools. In the last interview, we got into super detailed discussions about Python's inner workings and lower-level concepts. They actually ended the interview early because I couldn't explain context managers well enough, saying that a Senior role needs strong Python fundamentals. I liked that the interviewers were super knowledgeable and the questions felt relevant to backend work, plus I got clear feedback. What could be better is that it felt a bit harsh; ending the interview over one fundamental concept instead of looking at the whole picture of system design and backend experience. It would be more balanced to consider seniority aspects like architecture and problem-solving alongside the core language knowledge.

The interview process began with an initial HR screening call, followed by a meeting with the hiring manager. Unfortunately, the hiring manager was late and seemed unprepared. They didn't ask much about my resume or my iOS experience, limiting my ability to showcase my skills. A significant portion of the interview consisted of repetitive situational questions, with the manager rephrasing the same question multiple times even after I'd answered it. It felt like they didn't have enough content to fill the entire hour, as the interview wrapped up with me asking questions after only about 30 minutes. My impression was that iOS development isn't a priority at this company, which seems consistent with their app reviews. I've been through many interviews, but this one was frustrating enough to prompt a review.

The interview process was straightforward and well-organized, consisting of four stages: Initial screening Interview with the hiring manager A 2-hour technical interview (covering both tech stack questions and a live coding session) Final interview with a senior product manager I had a great experience with each interviewer — everyone was warm, professional, and easy to talk to. The whole process felt more like a conversation rather than an interrogation, which really helped reduce the usual interview nerves. Overall, the process gave me a strong impression of the company's culture and team dynamics.