System design interviews can be intimidating, but with the right preparation, you can excel. Here's my recommended approach:

Understanding the Format:

• Typically 45-60 minutes
• You'll design a large-scale system (e.g., Twitter, Uber, Netflix)
• Focus on trade-offs and communication, not perfect solutions

Key Concepts to Master:

• Load balancing and scaling
• Database design (SQL vs NoSQL)
• Caching strategies
• Message queues
• Microservices vs monolith

Recommended Resources:

• "Designing Data-Intensive Applications" by Martin Kleppmann
• System Design Primer on GitHub
• Practice with peers using mock interviews

What system design topics do you find most challenging?