Lyft Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Lyft is dedicated to improving lives through the world’s best transportation solutions, with a strong emphasis on community, inclusivity, and innovation.

As a Software Engineer at Lyft, you will be integral to developing and maintaining foundational systems that enhance the mobile experience for users. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to create tools and services that enable rapid and efficient app development, while focusing on the developer experience. Your role will involve diving into existing codebases, optimizing processes, and implementing new technologies that contribute to the growth of Lyft's mobile applications. Strong proficiency in programming languages such as Swift, along with experience in CI pipelines and unit testing, will be crucial for success. The ideal candidate will also possess a passion for building scalable and reliable architectures, ensuring efficient operations, and driving innovations that improve productivity.

This guide will prepare you for your interview by equipping you with insights into the expectations and technical challenges you may face, helping you articulate your experience and skills effectively during the interview process.

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a software engineering interview at Lyft. The interview process will likely assess your coding skills, system design capabilities, and behavioral fit within the company culture. Be prepared to demonstrate your technical knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and collaborative mindset.

Coding and Algorithms

1. Can you solve a problem using a sliding window technique?

This question tests your understanding of common algorithmic patterns and your ability to apply them to solve problems efficiently.

How to Answer

Explain the sliding window technique and how it can be used to optimize the solution. Walk through the problem step-by-step, discussing your thought process and the time complexity of your solution.

Example

“I would first identify the problem requirements and constraints. For example, if asked to find the maximum sum of a subarray of size k, I would initialize two pointers to represent the window and iterate through the array, adjusting the pointers to maintain the window size while calculating the sum.”

2. How would you implement a basic key-value store?

This question evaluates your understanding of data structures and your ability to design a simple system.

How to Answer

Discuss the data structures you would use, such as hash tables, and explain how you would handle operations like insertion, deletion, and retrieval.

Example

“I would use a hash table to store key-value pairs, allowing for average O(1) time complexity for insertions and lookups. I would also implement collision handling using chaining or open addressing.”

3. Describe how you would find the longest palindrome in a string.

This question assesses your string manipulation skills and understanding of dynamic programming.

How to Answer

Outline the approach you would take, whether it’s using a brute-force method or a more optimized dynamic programming solution.

Example

“I would use a dynamic programming approach where I create a 2D array to store whether substrings are palindromes. I would then iterate through the string, updating the array based on the characters at the current indices.”

4. Can you explain how to reverse a linked list?

This question tests your understanding of linked lists and pointer manipulation.

How to Answer

Walk through the iterative or recursive approach to reversing a linked list, explaining how you would handle edge cases.

Example

“I would use an iterative approach where I maintain three pointers: previous, current, and next. I would iterate through the list, reversing the pointers until I reach the end.”

5. How would you design a web crawler?

This question evaluates your system design skills and understanding of web technologies.

How to Answer

Discuss the components of a web crawler, including how you would handle URL fetching, parsing, and storage.

Example

“I would design a web crawler that uses a queue to manage URLs to visit. It would fetch pages using HTTP requests, parse the HTML to extract links, and store the data in a database for further analysis.”

System Design

1. How would you design a scalable notification system?

This question assesses your ability to design systems that can handle high loads and provide real-time notifications.

How to Answer

Discuss the architecture you would use, including components like message queues, databases, and load balancers.

Example

“I would use a microservices architecture with a message queue like Kafka to handle incoming notifications. Each service would be responsible for processing notifications and sending them to users, ensuring scalability and reliability.”

2. Describe how you would implement a CI/CD pipeline.

This question evaluates your understanding of software development practices and automation.

How to Answer

Outline the steps involved in setting up a CI/CD pipeline, including tools and processes for building, testing, and deploying code.

Example

“I would use tools like Jenkins or GitHub Actions to automate the build process. The pipeline would include stages for running tests, building artifacts, and deploying to staging and production environments.”

3. How would you design a system to handle real-time data processing?

This question tests your ability to design systems that can process data as it arrives.

How to Answer

Discuss the technologies you would use, such as stream processing frameworks, and how you would ensure data integrity and low latency.

Example

“I would use Apache Kafka for data ingestion and Apache Flink for real-time processing. This setup would allow us to handle high throughput while maintaining low latency for data processing.”

4. Can you explain how you would design a feature flagging system?

This question assesses your understanding of feature management and deployment strategies.

How to Answer

Discuss the components of a feature flagging system, including how you would implement toggles and manage user access.

Example

“I would create a centralized service to manage feature flags, allowing teams to toggle features on or off for specific user segments. This would enable us to test features in production without full deployment.”

5. How would you approach designing a RESTful API?

This question evaluates your understanding of API design principles and best practices.

How to Answer

Discuss the principles of REST, including resource representation, statelessness, and how you would handle versioning and authentication.

Example

“I would design the API to expose resources as URIs, using standard HTTP methods for CRUD operations. I would also implement versioning in the URL and use OAuth for secure access.”

Behavioral Questions

1. Tell me about a time you faced a conflict with a team member.

This question assesses your interpersonal skills and ability to resolve conflicts.

How to Answer

Describe the situation, your approach to resolving the conflict, and the outcome.

Example

“I had a disagreement with a team member about the direction of a project. I initiated a one-on-one conversation to understand their perspective and shared my concerns. We ultimately found a compromise that improved the project outcome.”

2. How do you prioritize your tasks when working on multiple projects?

This question evaluates your time management and organizational skills.

How to Answer

Discuss your approach to prioritization, including any frameworks or tools you use.

Example

“I use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks based on urgency and importance. This helps me focus on high-impact tasks while ensuring that deadlines are met.”

3. Describe a challenging technical problem you solved.

This question assesses your problem-solving abilities and technical expertise.

How to Answer

Outline the problem, your approach to solving it, and the impact of your solution.

Example

“I faced a performance issue in our application that was causing slow response times. I analyzed the code and identified a bottleneck in the database queries. By optimizing the queries and adding caching, I improved the response time by 50%.”

4. How do you stay current with new technologies and industry trends?

This question evaluates your commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

How to Answer

Discuss the resources you use to stay informed, such as blogs, podcasts, or online courses.

Example

“I regularly read tech blogs, listen to podcasts, and participate in online courses to stay updated on industry trends. I also attend meetups and conferences to network with other professionals.”

5. Why do you want to work at Lyft?

This question assesses your motivation and alignment with the company’s values.

How to Answer

Discuss what attracts you to Lyft, including its mission, culture, and the specific role you’re applying for.

Example

“I admire Lyft’s commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. I’m excited about the opportunity to work on innovative projects that have a real impact on people’s lives, and I believe my skills align well with the team’s goals.”

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

Understand the Interview Structure

The interview process at Lyft typically consists of multiple stages, including a recruiter call, technical phone screen, and several onsite interviews. Familiarize yourself with this structure and prepare accordingly. Expect a mix of coding challenges, system design questions, and behavioral interviews. Knowing what to expect will help you manage your time and energy effectively during the interview process.

Master the Coding Challenges

Coding interviews at Lyft often involve LeetCode-style questions, so practice solving a variety of algorithmic problems, especially those that focus on data structures and algorithms. Be prepared to write code in a live coding environment, such as CoderPad, and ensure you can articulate your thought process clearly while coding. Familiarize yourself with common patterns and problems, as many interviewers will expect you to solve problems efficiently and optimize your solutions.

Prepare for System Design Questions

Given the emphasis on system design in Lyft's interviews, be ready to discuss architectural decisions and design scalable systems. Brush up on your knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and cloud technologies. Practice designing systems on a whiteboard or paper, and be prepared to discuss trade-offs and considerations for scalability, reliability, and maintainability.

Showcase Your Experience with Tools and Technologies

Lyft values candidates with experience in building productivity tools and maintaining CI pipelines. Be prepared to discuss your past projects, particularly those involving Swift, Bazel, or command-line tools. Highlight any relevant side projects or open-source contributions that demonstrate your initiative and technical skills.

Emphasize Collaboration and Communication Skills

Lyft's culture emphasizes collaboration and inclusivity. Be ready to share examples of how you've worked effectively in teams, resolved conflicts, or mentored others. During behavioral interviews, focus on your ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and your approach to fostering a positive team environment.

Engage with Your Interviewers

During the interview, take the opportunity to engage with your interviewers. Ask thoughtful questions about their experiences at Lyft, the team dynamics, and the challenges they face. This not only shows your interest in the company but also helps you assess if Lyft is the right fit for you.

Be Authentic and Reflective

Lyft values authenticity and self-awareness. When discussing your experiences, be honest about your challenges and what you've learned from them. Reflect on your career journey and how it aligns with Lyft's mission and values. This will help you connect with your interviewers on a personal level.

Follow Up Professionally

After your interviews, consider sending a thank-you email to your interviewers. Express your appreciation for their time and reiterate your interest in the position. This small gesture can leave a positive impression and demonstrate your professionalism.

By following these tips and preparing thoroughly, you'll be well-equipped to navigate the interview process at Lyft and showcase your skills and fit for the role. Good luck!

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

1. Initial Recruiter Call

The process begins with a 30-minute introductory call with a recruiter. During this conversation, the recruiter will discuss the role, the company culture, and the overall interview process. They will also ask about your background, experiences, and motivations for applying to Lyft. This is an opportunity for you to express your interest in the company and clarify any questions you may have about the position.

2. Technical Phone Screen

Following the initial call, candidates typically undergo a technical phone screen lasting about 45 to 60 minutes. This interview focuses on coding skills and problem-solving abilities. You may be asked to solve a coding problem using an online coding platform, such as CoderPad or HackerRank. Expect questions that assess your understanding of data structures, algorithms, and coding best practices. The interviewer may also ask follow-up questions to gauge your thought process and approach to problem-solving.

3. Onsite Interviews

Candidates who perform well in the technical phone screen are invited to participate in onsite interviews, which usually consist of multiple rounds. These rounds can include:

• Coding Interview: A hands-on coding session where you will solve a problem in real-time. This may involve writing code on a whiteboard or using a laptop, and you will be expected to explain your thought process as you work through the problem.

• System Design Interview: In this round, you will be asked to design a system or architecture for a given problem. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of scalable systems, architecture patterns, and best practices in software engineering.

• Behavioral Interview: This interview focuses on your past experiences, teamwork, and how you handle challenges. Expect questions about conflict resolution, collaboration, and your approach to project management.

• Technical Deep Dive: Some candidates may also have a round dedicated to discussing specific technical projects or experiences from their past work. This is a chance to showcase your expertise and how it aligns with Lyft's needs.

4. Final Interview with Hiring Manager

In some cases, candidates may have a final interview with the hiring manager. This conversation typically covers your fit within the team, your career aspirations, and how you can contribute to Lyft's goals. It may also include discussions about the company's culture and values.

Throughout the interview process, Lyft emphasizes a collaborative and inclusive environment, so be prepared to engage with your interviewers and demonstrate your ability to work well in a team setting.

As you prepare for your interviews, consider the types of questions that may arise in each of these rounds, focusing on both technical and behavioral aspects.

Lyft Software Engineer Analytics and Experiments Interview Questions

Analytics and experiment questions appear in 97% of Lyft job interviews. They are most frequently asked during data analyst (97%), data scientist (97%), and product manager (97%) interviews.

1. How would you set up an A/B test for button color and position changes?

A team wants to A/B test multiple changes in a sign-up funnel, such as changing a button from red to blue and/or moving it from the top to the bottom of the page. How would you set up this test?

2. How long will it take for the second car to catch the first?

A car starts driving at 60 mph, and one hour later, a second car leaves the same position going 80 mph. How much time will pass until the second car catches the first?

3. What metrics determine ride demand and supply in a ride-sharing marketplace?

As a data scientist in a ride-sharing marketplace, what metrics would you look at to determine the demand for rides at any point? Additionally, what metrics would indicate high demand and low supply, and how can you determine the threshold for too much demand?

4. What key parameters would you focus on to improve Uber Eats customer experience?

To improve customer experience on Uber Eats, what key parameters would you focus on improving?

5. How would you design an A/B test for subscription pricing changes in a B2B SAAS company?

You work at a B2B SAAS company interested in testing different subscription pricing levels. Your project manager asks you to run a two-week-long A/B test to test an increase in pricing. How would you approach designing this test, and how would you determine if the price increase is a good business decision?

To prepare for analytics and experiments, consider using the product metrics learning path and the data analytics learning path.

Lyft Software Engineer Statistics and Probability Interview Questions

Statistics and Probability questions come up in 50% of Lyft job interviews. They are most frequent during research scientist (97%), data scientist (88%), and data analyst (36%) interviews.

6. How much should we budget for the coupon initiative in total?

A ride-sharing app has a probability (p) of dispensing a $5 coupon to a rider. The app services (N) riders. Calculate the total budget needed for the coupon initiative.

7. What is the probability of both riders getting the coupon?

A driver using the app picks up two passengers. Determine the probability that both riders will receive the coupon.

8. What is the probability that only one rider will get the coupon?

A driver using the app picks up two passengers. Determine the probability that only one of the riders will receive the coupon.

9. Is this a fair coin?

You flip a coin 10 times, and it comes up tails 8 times and heads twice. Assess whether the coin is fair based on these results.

10. What is the probability that item X would be found on Amazon’s website?

Amazon has a warehouse system where items are located at different distribution centers. In one city, the probability that item X is available at warehouse A is 0.6 and at warehouse B is 0.8. Calculate the probability that item X would be found on Amazon’s website.

11. How would you explain what a p-value is to someone who is not technical?

Provide a simple and non-technical explanation of what a p-value is.

12. What is the probability of each subsequent card being larger than the previous drawn card?

Imagine a deck of 500 cards numbered from 1 to 500. If all the cards are shuffled randomly and you are asked to pick three cards, one at a time, determine the probability that each subsequent card will be larger than the previous one.

To prepare for statistics and probability interview questions, consider using the A/B testing and statistics learning path and the comprehensive probability learning path.

Lyft Software Engineer Coding and Algorithms Interview Questions

Coding and algorithms questions appear in 37% of Lyft job interviews. They are most frequently asked during data engineer (97%), software engineer (97%), and machine learning engineer (97%) interviews.

13. Create a function find_bigrams to return a list of all bigrams in a sentence.

Write a function called find_bigrams that takes a sentence or paragraph of strings and returns a list of all its bigrams in order. A bigram is a pair of consecutive words.

14. Write a query to get the last transaction for each day from a table of bank transactions.

Given a table of bank transactions with columns id, transaction_value, and created_at, write a query to get the last transaction for each day. The output should include the id, datetime, and transaction amount, ordered by datetime.

15. Create a function find_change to find the minimum number of coins for a given amount.

Write a function find_change to find the minimum number of coins that make up the given amount of change cents. Assume we only have coins of value 1, 5, 10, and 25 cents.

16. Write a function to simulate drawing balls from a jar based on their counts.

Write a function to simulate drawing balls from a jar. The colors of the balls are stored in a list named jar, with corresponding counts of the balls stored in the same index in a list called n_balls.

17. Create a function calculate_rmse to compute the root mean squared error of a regression model.

Write a function calculate_rmse to calculate the root mean squared error of a regression model. The function should take in two lists, one that represents the predictions y_pred and another with the target values y_true.

To practice Algorithms interview questions, consider using the Python learning path or the full list of Algorithms questions in our database.

Lyft Software Engineer Machine Learning Interview Questions

Machine learning questions appear in 8% of Lyft job interviews. They are most frequent in research scientist (30%), data scientist (11%), and data analyst (8%) interviews.

18. How would we know if we have enough data to create an accurate ETA prediction model?

You have 1 million app rider journey trips in Seattle. How would you determine if this data is sufficient to build an accurate model for predicting ETA after a ride request?

19. What algorithm and features would you use to predict if an Uber driver will accept a ride request?

You need to build a model to predict if an Uber driver will accept a ride request. What algorithm would you choose, and what are the tradeoffs between different classifiers? Additionally, what features would you include in the model?

To get ready for machine learning interview questions, we recommend taking the machine learning course.

Here are some tips on how you can prepare well for your upcoming interview with Lyft:

• Be Prepared for System Design: Lyft puts a significant emphasis on design/architecture interviews, even for non-senior roles. Make sure to brush up on key concepts such as scalability, caching, and messaging queues.
• Practice Using CoderPad: Many have mentioned technical problems with the interview platform. Familiarize yourself with CoderPad or similar tools to avoid any unexpected issues.
• Expect Real-world Problems: Unlike some other tech companies, Lyft seems to focus on problems that you might actually encounter on the job. Go beyond typical algorithmic problems and prepare for practical, real-world coding challenges that require a problem-solving mindset.

The software engineer role at Lyft requires strong technical skills, critical thinking, and adaptability. By preparing for coding, system design, and behavioral interviews, you can improve your chances of landing the job in Lyft’s fast-paced, collaborative environment.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Lyft Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. Additionally, explore our interview guides for other roles such as data engineer and data analyst to learn more about Lyft’s interview process for different positions.

Good luck with your interview!