Freewheel Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Freewheel, a Comcast company, is a leading provider of comprehensive ad platforms designed to empower publishers, advertisers, and media buyers to achieve their goals across the New TV Ecosystem.

As a Software Engineer at Freewheel, you will play a crucial role in the development, deployment, and maintenance of innovative software solutions that support the advertising ecosystem. Your key responsibilities will include collaborating with project stakeholders to identify product and technical requirements, designing and building software applications, and ensuring high-quality code through testing and best practices. A strong foundation in programming languages such as Go, JavaScript/TypeScript, and MySQL is essential. Additionally, experience with front-end technologies like ReactJS and cloud services such as AWS will set you apart.

Ideal candidates will possess a passion for problem-solving, a commitment to delivering elegant technical solutions, and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team. Freewheel values engineers who are proactive, inquisitive, and eager to learn and grow within their roles. By understanding the core responsibilities and required skills for the Software Engineer position, you will be well-prepared to showcase your qualifications and fit for the role during your interview process.

The interview process for a Software Engineer at Freewheel is structured to assess both technical skills and cultural fit within the team. It typically consists of several rounds, each designed to evaluate different aspects of a candidate's qualifications and experiences.

1. Initial Screening

The process begins with an initial screening, usually conducted by a recruiter. This call lasts about 30 minutes and focuses on understanding your background, skills, and motivations for applying to Freewheel. The recruiter will also provide insights into the company culture and the specifics of the role, ensuring that you have a clear understanding of what to expect.

2. Technical Assessment

Following the initial screening, candidates typically undergo a technical assessment. This may take the form of an online coding challenge, where you will be required to solve algorithmic problems within a set time limit. The problems often include topics such as data structures, algorithms, and basic SQL queries. Candidates are encouraged to prepare for a variety of coding challenges, including those that test knowledge of languages like Python, Go, and JavaScript.

3. Technical Interviews

After successfully completing the technical assessment, candidates are invited to participate in one or more technical interviews. These interviews are usually conducted via video call and may involve coding exercises in real-time. Interviewers will assess your problem-solving abilities, coding proficiency, and understanding of software engineering principles. Expect questions related to object-oriented programming, system design, and specific technologies relevant to the role, such as AWS or MySQL.

4. Behavioral Interviews

In addition to technical skills, Freewheel places a strong emphasis on cultural fit. Candidates will likely face behavioral interviews where they will be asked to discuss past experiences, teamwork, and how they handle challenges. These interviews aim to gauge your alignment with Freewheel's values and your ability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

5. Final Round

The final round typically involves interviews with senior team members or management, including a potential meeting with the VP of Engineering. This round may include deeper discussions about your technical expertise, project experiences, and how you can contribute to the team’s goals. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the team dynamics and future projects.

As you prepare for your interviews, be ready to showcase your technical skills and share specific examples from your past experiences that demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and collaborative spirit.

Here are some tips to help you excel in your interview.

Understand the Technical Landscape

Familiarize yourself with the technologies and programming languages that are central to FreeWheel's operations, particularly Go, MySQL, JavaScript/TypeScript, and ReactJS. Given the emphasis on building scalable applications and data pipelines, ensure you can discuss your experience with these technologies in detail. Be prepared to demonstrate your understanding of object-oriented programming principles and SOLID concepts, as these are crucial for the role.

Prepare for Coding Challenges

Expect to face a variety of coding challenges during the interview process, including algorithm and data structure questions. Practice problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on linked lists, dynamic programming, and SQL queries. Given the feedback from previous candidates, be ready to solve problems that require you to implement data structures and algorithms efficiently. Time management is key, so practice coding under timed conditions to simulate the interview environment.

Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills

FreeWheel values candidates who are enthusiastic problem solvers. During the interview, be prepared to discuss specific challenges you've faced in past projects and how you approached them. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses, highlighting your analytical thinking and ability to deliver elegant solutions.

Engage with the Interviewers

The interview process at FreeWheel often includes multiple rounds with different team members. Use this opportunity to engage with your interviewers by asking insightful questions about their work, the team dynamics, and the projects they are currently tackling. This not only shows your interest in the role but also helps you assess if the company culture aligns with your values.

Emphasize Collaboration and Communication

Given the collaborative nature of the role, be prepared to discuss your experience working in multidisciplinary teams. Highlight instances where you successfully communicated technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders or collaborated with product managers and UX designers. This will demonstrate your ability to work effectively within FreeWheel's team-oriented environment.

Be Ready for Behavioral Questions

While technical skills are essential, FreeWheel also places a strong emphasis on cultural fit. Prepare for behavioral questions that assess your alignment with the company's values, such as customer focus, teamwork, and continuous learning. Reflect on your past experiences and be ready to share examples that illustrate your commitment to these principles.

Stay Informed About Industry Trends

As a company at the forefront of the advertising technology space, FreeWheel values candidates who are knowledgeable about industry trends and emerging technologies. Stay updated on developments in the ad tech landscape and be prepared to discuss how these trends could impact FreeWheel's business and your role within the company.

Follow Up Thoughtfully

After your interview, send a personalized thank-you note to your interviewers. Express your appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about the team and the role, and reiterate your enthusiasm for the position. This small gesture can leave a positive impression and reinforce your interest in joining FreeWheel.

By following these tips and preparing thoroughly, you'll position yourself as a strong candidate for the Software Engineer role at FreeWheel. Good luck!

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a Software Engineer interview at FreeWheel. Candidates should focus on demonstrating their technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of software development principles, particularly in relation to the technologies and methodologies mentioned in the job description.

Technical Skills

1. Can you explain the SOLID principles of object-oriented design?

Understanding SOLID principles is crucial for writing maintainable and scalable code.

How to Answer

Discuss each principle briefly, emphasizing how they contribute to better software design and maintenance.

Example

“The SOLID principles are a set of design principles that help developers create more understandable, flexible, and maintainable software. For instance, the Single Responsibility Principle states that a class should have only one reason to change, which helps in reducing the complexity of the code and makes it easier to test.”

2. Describe your experience with Go and how you have used it in your projects.

This question assesses your familiarity with Go, which is a key requirement for the role.

How to Answer

Share specific projects where you utilized Go, focusing on the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

Example

“I worked on a microservices architecture project where I used Go to build a RESTful API. I appreciated Go’s concurrency model, which allowed me to handle multiple requests efficiently. One challenge was managing state across services, which I solved by implementing a centralized caching mechanism.”

3. How do you approach debugging a complex issue in your code?

Debugging is a critical skill for any software engineer.

How to Answer

Outline your systematic approach to identifying and resolving bugs, including tools and techniques you use.

Example

“When debugging, I first try to reproduce the issue consistently. I then use logging to gather more information about the state of the application. If necessary, I will use a debugger to step through the code. I also find it helpful to consult with team members for a fresh perspective.”

4. What is your experience with SQL and how do you optimize queries?

SQL skills are essential for data-related tasks in this role.

How to Answer

Discuss your experience with SQL, including specific optimizations you have implemented.

Example

“I have extensive experience writing complex SQL queries for data analysis. To optimize queries, I focus on indexing, avoiding SELECT *, and using JOINs judiciously. For instance, in a recent project, I improved query performance by 30% by adding appropriate indexes and restructuring the query to minimize data retrieval.”

5. Can you describe a project where you implemented unit testing or TDD?

This question evaluates your commitment to code quality.

How to Answer

Share a specific example of how you applied unit testing or Test-Driven Development (TDD) in a project.

Example

“In a recent project, I adopted TDD to develop a new feature. I wrote tests for each functionality before implementing the code. This approach not only helped me catch bugs early but also ensured that the code met the requirements from the start. The result was a more reliable and maintainable codebase.”

Data Structures and Algorithms

1. How would you implement a linked list in Python?

This question tests your understanding of data structures.

How to Answer

Explain the structure of a linked list and how you would implement it, possibly providing a high-level overview of the methods you would include.

Example

“I would create a Node class to represent each element in the linked list, containing data and a pointer to the next node. The LinkedList class would manage the head node and include methods for insertion, deletion, and traversal. This structure allows for efficient memory usage and dynamic resizing.”

2. Can you explain the difference between a stack and a queue?

Understanding basic data structures is fundamental for software engineering.

How to Answer

Define both data structures and highlight their differences in terms of usage and implementation.

Example

“A stack is a Last In First Out (LIFO) structure, where the last element added is the first to be removed. A queue, on the other hand, is a First In First Out (FIFO) structure, where the first element added is the first to be removed. Stacks are often used for function call management, while queues are used in scenarios like task scheduling.”

3. Describe a time when you optimized an algorithm. What was the problem and what was your solution?

This question assesses your problem-solving skills and understanding of algorithm efficiency.

How to Answer

Provide a specific example, detailing the original algorithm, its inefficiencies, and how you improved it.

Example

“I was tasked with sorting a large dataset. Initially, I used a bubble sort algorithm, which was inefficient for large datasets. I researched and implemented a quicksort algorithm, which significantly reduced the time complexity from O(n^2) to O(n log n), improving performance dramatically.”

4. What is dynamic programming, and can you provide an example of a problem that can be solved using it?

Dynamic programming is a key concept in algorithm design.

How to Answer

Explain the concept and provide a specific problem that illustrates its application.

Example

“Dynamic programming is a method for solving complex problems by breaking them down into simpler subproblems and storing the results to avoid redundant calculations. A classic example is the Fibonacci sequence, where instead of recalculating values, I store previously computed results in an array.”

5. How would you approach solving the Knapsack problem?

This question tests your understanding of optimization problems.

How to Answer

Discuss the problem and outline your approach, including any algorithms you would use.

Example

“I would approach the Knapsack problem using dynamic programming. I would create a table to store the maximum value that can be achieved with a given weight limit. By iterating through the items and updating the table based on whether to include each item, I can find the optimal solution efficiently.”