A Software Engineer at Reputation plays a pivotal role in developing and enhancing the company’s suite of products that manage online reputation, customer feedback, and business insights. This position is essential for ensuring that the technology behind the products is robust, scalable, and capable of meeting the demands of a diverse range of clients. As a Software Engineer, you will directly contribute to projects that impact user experience and drive business success, making your work both critical and rewarding. In this role, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and data scientists, to develop innovative solutions that address real-world problems faced by businesses in managing their online presence. You will have the opportunity to work on complex technical challenges, leveraging modern technologies and methodologies to create scalable solutions that enhance product functionality and performance. The impact of your contributions can be felt across various sectors, as you help businesses navigate the complexities of their digital reputations.
Initial Phone Screen
reportedAssess your background and fit for the Software Engineer role at Reputation.
What to demonstrate
- Assess your background and fit for the Software Engineer role at Reputation
- Depth in Algorithms & Data Structures (coding/whiteboarding)
How to prepare
- Be able to walk your CV end to end in two minutes, and say why this company specifically.
- Have your salary expectations, notice period and location constraints ready, and ask for the rest of the loop in writing.
Technical Interviews
reportedMultiple rounds focusing on coding skills, system design, and problem-solving abilities.
What to demonstrate
- Multiple rounds focusing on coding skills, system design, and problem-solving abilities
- Depth in Algorithms & Data Structures (coding/whiteboarding)
How to prepare
- Answer aloud and timed: Describe how you would optimize a slow-performing application.
- Answer aloud and timed: What is the purpose of using design patterns in software development?
Behavioral Assessments
reportedEvaluate your soft skills, teamwork, and alignment with the company's culture.
What to demonstrate
- Evaluate your soft skills, teamwork, and alignment with the company's culture
- Depth in Algorithms & Data Structures (coding/whiteboarding)
How to prepare
- Prepare three examples from your own work, each with a decision you made and an outcome you can quantify.
- Re-read the description of the behavioral assessments above and write down what you would ask to confirm before it.
Final Interviews
reportedConsolidate all evaluations to determine overall fit and readiness for the role.
What to demonstrate
- Consolidate all evaluations to determine overall fit and readiness for the role
- Depth in Algorithms & Data Structures (coding/whiteboarding)
How to prepare
- Answer aloud and timed: How would you build a real-time chat application? Discuss the architecture.
- Answer aloud and timed: Explain how you would approach designing an API for a new feature.
PracHub editorial advice for the preparation topics above.
Be prepared for coding challenges
Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your algorithmic skills.
Understand the product
Familiarize yourself with Reputation’s products and services to discuss how your skills can contribute to their success.
Communicate clearly
During technical interviews, articulate your thought process and reasoning as you work through problems.
Show enthusiasm
Demonstrating genuine interest in the company's mission and values can positively impact your candidacy.
Choose a category, try a prompt, then open its approach, worked solution or follow-up when you need it.
Write a function to find the longest substring without repeating characters.
Write a function to find the longest substring without repeating characters.
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
How would you implement a binary search algorithm?
How would you implement a binary search algorithm?
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
Solve a problem using dynamic programming.
Solve a problem using dynamic programming.
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
Write a program to reverse a linked list.
Write a program to reverse a linked list.
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
Explain the time complexity of your solution and any trade-offs.
Explain the time complexity of your solution and any trade-offs.
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
Write the update path that detects a concurrent edit
resource carries version INT NOT NULL DEFAULT 1. resource_revision holds revision_id, resource_id, version, actor_user_id, change_kind, patch JSONB, request_id, created_at with UNIQUE (resource_id, version). outbox_event holds aggregate_type, aggregate_id, aggregate_version, event_type, payload, status. A PUT carries the version the client read. Write the exact statements for the single transaction that applies the edit, records the revision and enqueues 'resource.updated', and give the handler's branch on zero affected rows. Then say what PostgreSQL 16 does under READ COMMITTED when two of these updates hit one row at once.
Approach
- One transaction, three writes, no network call inside it: UPDATE resource SET title = $3, version = version + 1, updated_at = now() WHERE resource_id = $1 AND tenant_id = $4 AND version = $2; then INSERT the resource_revision row at version $2 + 1; then INSERT the outbox_event row at the same aggregate_version. The event goes to a table rather than a broker because no transaction spans both.
- Branch on the affected-row count before doing anything else. Zero has three causes — stale version, wrong tenant, row gone — so re-read once and map to 409 carrying the current version, or 404 for an id outside the caller's tenant, which also stops the endpoint confirming that another tenant's id exists.
- State the engine behaviour instead of assuming it. Under READ COMMITTED the second UPDATE blocks on the row lock, and when the first commits PostgreSQL re-evaluates the WHERE clause against the newly committed row, so the version predicate now fails and the statement reports zero rows. Under REPEATABLE READ the identical collision raises SQLSTATE 40001 instead, so the handler must fold both shapes into one conflict response.
- Keep UNIQUE (resource_id, version) even though the predicate already serialises writers. It is what makes a lost update unwritable if any other path ever reaches the revision table, and it converts a logic bug into 23505 rather than into a silently missing history row.
Follow-up
- A client sends the version it read ten minutes ago and the resource has moved three versions. What is in your 409 so it can resolve the conflict without a full re-fetch?
- Two editors, two disjoint fields, no overlap. Does your answer still refuse the second write, and should it?
Find version gaps and relay lag with window functions
outbox_event holds event_id, aggregate_type, aggregate_id, aggregate_version, event_type, payload, status ('pending','published','dead'), attempts, created_at, published_at. A projection is missing rows and you must decide whether the relay skipped events or the consumer dropped them. Write three queries over the last seven days: one listing every aggregate_id whose published aggregate_version sequence has a hole, one giving per-day counts with a running total, and one returning the newest published event per aggregate. For each, say where the window function is evaluated relative to WHERE and LIMIT. PostgreSQL 16.
Approach
- Gaps: compute lead(aggregate_version) OVER (PARTITION BY aggregate_id ORDER BY aggregate_version) in a subquery, then filter next_version <> aggregate_version + 1 in the outer query. Window functions are evaluated after WHERE, GROUP BY and HAVING and before the outer ORDER BY and LIMIT, so the predicate cannot sit in the same WHERE clause and PostgreSQL 16 has no QUALIFY.
- Say what the seven-day filter does to the answer: it truncates every partition, so the first row per aggregate has no predecessor inside the window and a hole spanning the boundary is invisible. Widen the window, or join to resource.version as the authority for the true maximum.
- Running total: SELECT date_trunc('day', created_at) AS d, count() AS n, sum(count()) OVER (ORDER BY date_trunc('day', created_at) ROWS UNBOUNDED PRECEDING). An aggregate inside a window call is legal because grouping runs before windowing. The grouping key is unique per row here so ROWS and RANGE agree, but write the frame anyway — over ungrouped rows with tied timestamps the default RANGE frame pulls in every peer row and the total jumps.
- Newest per aggregate: DISTINCT ON (aggregate_id) ... ORDER BY aggregate_id, aggregate_version DESC is the cheap PostgreSQL-only form when an index matches that order; row_number() OVER (PARTITION BY aggregate_id ORDER BY aggregate_version DESC) = 1 is the portable form and needs a subquery for the same evaluation-order reason as the gap query.
Follow-up
- Relay failover redelivers events. Does a duplicate break the gap query, and how would you detect one from this table alone?
- Turn the gap check into a continuous monitor rather than a query someone runs after an incident. What does it watch?
Explain the difference between an abstract class and an interface in Java.
Explain the difference between an abstract class and an interface in Java.
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
What are the key principles of Object-Oriented Programming?
What are the key principles of Object-Oriented Programming?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Describe how you would optimize a slow-performing application.
Describe how you would optimize a slow-performing application.
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
What is the purpose of using design patterns in software development?
What is the purpose of using design patterns in software development?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
How do you manage dependencies in a project?
How do you manage dependencies in a project?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Design a URL shortening service. What considerations would you take into account?
Design a URL shortening service. What considerations would you take into account?
Approach
- Fix the scope first: who calls this, how often, and what they do when it fails.
- Name the read and write paths separately; they rarely have the same bottleneck.
- Choose a partition key and say what query it makes expensive.
- State the consistency you need, and where you are willing to be stale.
Follow-up
- What breaks first when traffic grows ten times?
- How does this behave when that dependency is down for an hour?
How would you build a real-time chat application? Discuss the architecture.
How would you build a real-time chat application? Discuss the architecture.
Approach
- Fix the scope first: who calls this, how often, and what they do when it fails.
- Name the read and write paths separately; they rarely have the same bottleneck.
- Choose a partition key and say what query it makes expensive.
- State the consistency you need, and where you are willing to be stale.
Follow-up
- What breaks first when traffic grows ten times?
- How does this behave when that dependency is down for an hour?
Explain how you would approach designing an API for a new feature.
Explain how you would approach designing an API for a new feature.
Approach
- Say who the caller is and what they do when the call fails halfway.
- Define the identity of a request so a retry cannot double-apply it.
- Separate accepted, pending, failed and confirmed; they are different facts.
- Design the error taxonomy before the success shape; callers branch on it.
Follow-up
- What happens if the caller retries after a timeout?
- How does a client discover it is on an old version of this contract?
What strategies would you employ for data storage and retrieval in a high-traffic application?
What strategies would you employ for data storage and retrieval in a high-traffic application?
Approach
- Fix the scope first: who calls this, how often, and what they do when it fails.
- Name the read and write paths separately; they rarely have the same bottleneck.
- Choose a partition key and say what query it makes expensive.
- State the consistency you need, and where you are willing to be stale.
Follow-up
- What breaks first when traffic grows ten times?
- How does this behave when that dependency is down for an hour?
Describe a system you designed in the past and the challenges you faced.
Describe a system you designed in the past and the challenges you faced.
Approach
- Fix the scope first: who calls this, how often, and what they do when it fails.
- Name the read and write paths separately; they rarely have the same bottleneck.
- Choose a partition key and say what query it makes expensive.
- State the consistency you need, and where you are willing to be stale.
Follow-up
- What breaks first when traffic grows ten times?
- How does this behave when that dependency is down for an hour?
If you were given incomplete specifications for a project, how would you proceed?
If you were given incomplete specifications for a project, how would you proceed?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Describe a logical problem you solved and the steps you took to reach a solution.
Describe a logical problem you solved and the steps you took to reach a solution.
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
How do you approach learning a new technology or framework?
How do you approach learning a new technology or framework?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Provide an example of how you have used data to inform a decision in your work.
Provide an example of how you have used data to inform a decision in your work.
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
How would you approach debugging a critical issue in a production environment?
How would you approach debugging a critical issue in a production environment?
Approach
- Establish what changed and when, before forming any theory.
- Pick a bisection that eliminates candidates whichever way it turns out.
- Check the instrumentation before believing the symptom.
- Separate the trigger from the cause; the deploy is rarely the bug.
Follow-up
- What would you look at first, and what would it rule out?
- How would you tell a cause from a coincidence here?
Built from the rounds and topics Reputation candidates report.
Prepare, practise & reflect
One practical outcome each day. Spend longer where you need it.
0 / 7 done01Map the Reputation loop
- Write out the reported sequence: Initial Phone Screen, Technical Interviews, Behavioral Assessments, Final Interviews.
- For each round, write one sentence on what it is judging, from the description above, and mark the one you are least ready for.
Deliverable: A one-page map of the 4 reported rounds, with the weakest marked.
02Work Algorithms & Data Structures (coding/whiteboarding)
- Spend the session on Algorithms & Data Structures (coding/whiteboarding), which Reputation candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in Algorithms & Data Structures (coding/whiteboarding) and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in Algorithms & Data Structures (coding/whiteboarding).
03Work Java (core language)
- Spend the session on Java (core language), which Reputation candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in Java (core language) and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in Java (core language).
04Work System Design
- Spend the session on System Design, which Reputation candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in System Design and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in System Design.
05Answer out loud: Technical / Domain Questions
- Answer aloud, timed: Explain the difference between an abstract class and an interface in Java.
- Answer aloud, timed: What are the key principles of Object-Oriented Programming?
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported Technical / Domain Questions question(s), under time.
06Answer out loud: System Design / Architecture
- Answer aloud, timed: Design a URL shortening service. What considerations would you take into account?
- Answer aloud, timed: How would you build a real-time chat application? Discuss the architecture.
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported System Design / Architecture question(s), under time.
07Answer out loud: Behavioral / Leadership
- Answer aloud, timed: Describe a time when you faced a significant challenge in a project. How did you overcome it?
- Answer aloud, timed: How do you handle conflicts within a team?
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported Behavioral / Leadership question(s), under time.
Expand any day for tasks and deliverables. Your progress is saved on this device.
Behavioural rounds judge the decision you made and what it cost.
Describe a time when you faced a significant challenge in a project. How did you overcome it?
Describe a time when you faced a significant challenge in a project. How did you overcome it?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
How do you handle conflicts within a team?
How do you handle conflicts within a team?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
Give an example of how you have contributed to a positive team culture.
Give an example of how you have contributed to a positive team culture.
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
What motivates you to do your best work?
What motivates you to do your best work?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
How do you prioritize tasks when working on multiple projects?
How do you prioritize tasks when working on multiple projects?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
- 01
Describe a time when you faced a significant challenge in a project. How did you overcome it?
- 02
How do you handle conflicts within a team?
- 03
Give an example of how you have contributed to a positive team culture.
- 04
What motivates you to do your best work?
What is the interview difficulty level for Software Engineer positions at Reputation?
The interview process is generally considered challenging, with a focus on both technical skills and cultural fit. Candidates typically spend several weeks preparing, especially for coding and system design questions.
Reputation Software Engineer candidate reports ↗How can I differentiate myself as a candidate?
Successful candidates often demonstrate not only technical proficiency but also strong communication skills and cultural alignment with Reputation's values. Be sure to showcase your passion for technology and problem-solving abilities.
Reputation Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What is the company culture like at Reputation?
The culture at Reputation emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to customer success. Employees often describe the environment as supportive yet driven, with a focus on achieving results.
Reputation Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What is the typical timeline from initial screen to offer?
Candidates can expect the entire process to range from a few weeks to several months, depending on the availability of interviewers and scheduling.
Reputation Software Engineer candidate reports ↗Are there remote work options available?
Reputation offers flexible working arrangements, including remote work options, depending on the role and team dynamics.
Reputation Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What topics does Reputation test in interviews?
Reputation interviews most often cover Microservices, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Time Management, System Design, and Stakeholder Management. The exact emphasis depends on the specific role you apply for.
Reputation Software Engineer candidate reports ↗Sources & methodology 3 sources ↗
No official company page is cited. Rounds and questions come from candidate reports and PracHub editorial material; each source shows the date it was read.
- 01Reputation Software Engineer candidate reports ↗
Company-reported rounds, questions and FAQ.
Candidate reports · Accessed 2026-09-22 - 02PracHub Software Engineer practice ↗
PracHub practice material, not company-reported.
PracHub page · Accessed 2026-09-22 - 03PracHub preparation framework ↗
PracHub preparation guidance.
PracHub page · Accessed 2026-09-22
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