Candidates describe a Varo software engineer process with a recruiter call, LeetCode-style coding, system design such as a URL shortener, and conversations with leaders. Here is what to practice.
$185K
Avg. Base Comp
$205K
Avg. Total Comp
Not reported
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
Two candidates who interviewed for Varo's Software Engineer role describe a similar shape: a recruiter call first, then technical rounds that carry most of the weight. Both reported not receiving an offer, and both called the technical bar high.
One candidate faced LeetCode-style medium problems, including finding the best time to buy and sell a stock and returning the two indices, plus a sorting question about organizing file contents. That candidate also designed a URL shortener and talked with HR, a VP and a group leader. Sessions were reportedly about an hour and a half each.
The other candidate described a fast, fully virtual process with three rounds. The technical round asked for code that fetches two numbers from an API and sums them, then converts the numbers to linked lists and returns the sum as a linked list. The third round covered a past debugging story, designing a web page's infrastructure and how it talks to the backend, and a function returning the angle between the clock's hour and minute hands. SDLC and STLC methodologies also came up.
A third report, from a Senior Software Engineer candidate, mentions describing a past system, designing a new one with a group manager, and a fairly easy recursive Python exercise. Treat it as a hint that design conversations may appear at more than one level.
For preparation, practice array and linked-list problems under time pressure, rehearse a URL shortener design with its scalability trade-offs, and prepare a clear debugging story. Talk through your reasoning aloud, since one candidate described the design conversation as friendly and another said they were given time to think.
Synthesized from 3 candidate reports by our editorial team.
Had an interview recently?
Share your experience. Unlock the full guide.
Real interview reports from people who went through the Varo process.
I went through Varo's interview process after being connected through LinkedIn, and the whole thing moved really fast. HR was on top of coordinating everything, and it was completely virtual which made scheduling easy. The process had three rounds total, starting with a basic screening call where the recruiter was polite and professional, just getting to know my background and the role itself.
The second round was the technical one, and that's where things got real. I was asked to write code to fetch two numbers from a given API and return their sum—straightforward enough to start. But then they went deeper: take those same two numbers, convert each to a linked list, and return the sum as a linked list. It was a LeetCode-style problem that required thinking through the data structure conversion and the arithmetic carefully. The interviewer was friendly but seemed a bit distracted, maybe answering messages while I was working through it, which made the experience feel less engaged than I'd have liked.
The third interview went into deeper technical territory. I had to describe a problem I'd solved—a bug issue—and walk through my debugging process. Then they asked me to design the infrastructure of a web page and explain how it communicates with the backend. The final question was to implement a method that takes a digital hour as input and returns the angle between the hour and minute hands. That one required some geometry knowledge and precision. The questions were challenging but I was given time to think through them and wasn't rushed, which I appreciated.
They also touched on methodologies around SDLC and STLC, just to make sure I understood the broader development lifecycle, not just coding. Overall the technical bar felt pretty high, and the interview experience was mixed—fast process, clear questions, but some moments where the interviewers seemed less present than ideal.
Prep tip from this candidate
Brush up on linked list operations and API integration problems—those came up multiple times. The clock angle problem is worth practicing too, as it requires math you might not use every day. Be prepared for deeper dives on system design even for what seems like a junior-to-mid level role.
Share your own interview experience to unlock all reports, or subscribe for full access.
Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Varo
Select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department
| Question | |
|---|---|
| Closest SAT Scores | |
| Employee Salaries | |
| Subscription Overlap | |
| Empty Neighborhoods | |
| Top Three Salaries | |
| Rolling Bank Transactions | |
| Merge Sorted Lists | |
| String Shift | |
| Comments Histogram | |
| Top 5 Turnover Risk | |
| Like Tracker | |
| Find the First Non-Repeating Character in a String | |
| Bagging vs Boosting | |
| Total Spent on Products | |
| P-value to a Layman | |
| Maximum Profit | |
| Prime to N | |
| Cumulative Distribution | |
| Top 3 Users | |
| Over-Budget Projects | |
| Google Maps Improvement | |
| Hurdles In Data Projects | |
| Over 100 Dollars | |
| Minimum Change | |
| Find the Missing Number | |
| Scrambled Tickets | |
| Rectangle Overlap | |
| Project Pairs | |
| Sum to N |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates report starting with a recruiter call that covers the role and their background. One described it as informative, and another said the recruiter was polite and professional. It is typically a conversational step rather than a technical one, so prepare a concise summary of your experience.
One candidate reports medium-difficulty problems, including returning buy and sell indices for the best stock trade and a sorting problem about file contents. Another was asked to sum two API-fetched numbers and then return the sum as a linked list. One candidate felt time pressure, so practice arrays, linked lists and sorting with working code.
Candidates report design questions such as a URL shortener and the infrastructure of a web page and its backend communication. One was also asked to walk through a past bug and how they debugged it. Expect to discuss scalability and trade-offs, though the depth likely varies by interviewer.
One candidate reports being asked to implement a method returning the angle between the hour and minute hands from a digital time, and being asked about SDLC and STLC methodologies. This was a single report, so treat it as a possible topic rather than a standard question.
One candidate reports conversations with HR, a VP and a group leader about their background and team fit. A senior-level candidate also described a relaxed HR chat and a follow-up with the group lead. These may come after or alongside the technical rounds, so prepare thoughtful questions about the team.
