Whiteboard Programming Practice

Ahem, let’s talk about the elephant in the room - whiteboard interviews. I know, I know. Just the thought of standing there with a marker in your hand while someone watches you code probably makes your palms sweat a little. (Or at least it should!) But here’s the thing: whiteboarding isn’t really about testing if you can write perfect code without an IDE. It’s about seeing how you think through problems.

And honestly? That’s a skill worth developing, whether you’re in an interview or just trying to explain your approach to a teammate during a code review.

Why These Articles Matter

I’ve seen brilliant developers completely freeze up during whiteboard sessions. Not because they couldn’t solve the problems, but because they’d never practiced the process of working through code problems out loud, step by step. That’s what we’re fixating on here.

These articles aren’t just problem collections - they’re your training ground for thinking algorithmically and communicating your thought process clearly. Whether you’re a complete beginner or ready for more challenging problems, we’ve got you covered.

What You’ll Find Here

For Beginners: Start with our Python-based or Java-based beginner questions. (Or even the pseudo-code ones!) These cover the fundamental patterns you’ll see everywhere - string manipulation, array processing, basic data structures. Don’t skip these even if they seem simple. The point is building confidence and developing good whiteboarding habits.

Building Up: The pseudo-code versions will help you think through problems without getting caught up in language-specific syntax. This is huge for interviews where they might not care about the exact language you use.

Ready for More: Our intermediate problems introduce you to recursion, dynamic programming, and more complex algorithmic thinking. These are where things get really interesting and where you start seeing patterns that show up in real production code.

How to Use These Materials

Here’s my advice: Don’t just read through these. Actually grab a marker (or just use your screen) and work through them. Talk out loud - yes, even if you’re alone. Explain your thinking process. Ask yourself about edge cases. Work through examples step by step.

The goal isn’t to memorize solutions. It’s to get comfortable with the process of breaking down problems, exploring different approaches, and clearly communicating your reasoning.

Trust me, six months from now when you’re confidently walking through a complex problem during an interview or code review, you’ll be glad you put in this practice time.

Start Wherever Feels Right

Don’t worry about doing these in any particular order. Pick the level that feels challenging but not overwhelming. The most important thing is just to start practicing the skill of thinking through problems methodically.

And remember - even experienced developers take time to work through these problems. The difference is they’ve practiced the process enough to stay calm and think clearly under pressure.

That’s what we’re building here. Let’s get started.