Devscape System design, written down
Writing on system design: capacity estimation, caching, queues, and what an interviewer is actually listening for. Every post ends on a board where you design the thing yourself. RSS
Designing a RAG system in a system design interview
RAG is a search problem with an AI hat on. How to cut up documents, how to search them properly, where the time really goes, and what one question costs — the parts interviewers now mark.
estimationBack-of-the-envelope estimation for system design interviews
The eight numbers worth memorising, the four-step method that turns a vague brief into QPS and terabytes, and a worked example — sized the way an interviewer expects you to size it.
cachingCaching strategies: cache-aside, write-through, and write-behind
Three ways to put a cache next to a database, what each one does when a write lands, and the failure each one is quietly signing you up for. With the invalidation problem stated honestly.
interviewWhat to draw first in a system design interview
Most candidates lose the room in the first ten minutes by drawing the wrong thing. Here is the order that keeps the whiteboard legible and the interviewer following you.