Samsara Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Samsara is a pioneering company in the Connected Operations Cloud, focused on harnessing IoT data to improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of physical operations across various industries.

The Software Engineer role at Samsara is designed for individuals who are not only technically proficient but also passionate about making a tangible impact on the industries that drive our global economy. The key responsibilities include designing, developing, and maintaining high-quality, scalable software solutions that leverage IoT technology. Candidates will work closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Management and Design, to innovate and deliver solutions that enhance customer outcomes.

To excel in this role, candidates should possess strong programming fundamentals, experience in software development, and a solid understanding of the software development lifecycle, particularly in Agile/Scrum environments. Exceptional problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders are essential. Ideal candidates will also demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and mentorship within the team, embodying Samsara's values of customer success, collaboration, and long-term thinking.

This guide will help you prepare for your interview by providing insights into the expectations and culture at Samsara, ensuring you can articulate your fit for the role confidently.

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

1. Initial Recruiter Call

The process begins with a phone call from a recruiter. This initial conversation usually lasts about 30 minutes and serves as an opportunity for the recruiter to learn about your background, experience, and motivations for applying to Samsara. They will also provide an overview of the company and the role, ensuring that you have a clear understanding of what to expect.

2. Technical Phone Screen

Following the recruiter call, candidates typically undergo a technical phone screen. This session is conducted with an engineer and often involves coding exercises that focus on practical problem-solving rather than traditional algorithmic questions. Candidates may be asked to work through coding challenges in a shared online environment, such as CoderPad, where they can demonstrate their coding skills and thought process.

3. Onsite Interview

The onsite interview is a more comprehensive evaluation, usually lasting several hours and consisting of multiple rounds. Candidates can expect to participate in a series of technical interviews, which may include coding challenges, system design problems, and debugging exercises. Additionally, there is often a behavioral interview with a hiring manager to assess cultural fit and discuss past experiences. During this stage, candidates may also have the opportunity to engage with team members and learn more about the company culture.

4. Team Matching and Offer Process

After successfully completing the onsite interviews, candidates may enter a team matching phase, where they discuss potential teams they could join based on their skills and interests. This is followed by an offer discussion, where the recruiter will outline the compensation package and any other relevant details.

Throughout the interview process, candidates are encouraged to ask questions and engage with their interviewers, as this reflects the collaborative and communicative culture at Samsara.

Now that you have an understanding of the interview process, let's delve into the specific questions that candidates have encountered during their interviews.

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

Understand the Company’s Mission and Values

Samsara is focused on improving the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of physical operations through IoT technology. Familiarize yourself with their products and how they impact industries like transportation, agriculture, and construction. Be prepared to discuss how your skills and experiences align with their mission and how you can contribute to their goals. This understanding will not only help you answer questions more effectively but also demonstrate your genuine interest in the company.

Prepare for Practical Problem-Solving

Interviews at Samsara often emphasize practical coding problems rather than traditional algorithm-heavy questions. Brush up on your coding skills with real-world scenarios that relate to their products. Practice coding exercises that involve system design, debugging, and building scalable applications. This will help you feel more comfortable during the technical portions of the interview, which may include designing systems that can handle large volumes of data or user interactions.

Emphasize Collaboration and Teamwork

Samsara values team players who can work collaboratively across different functions. Be ready to share examples of how you have successfully worked in teams, mentored others, or contributed to a positive team culture. Highlight your ability to communicate effectively with cross-functional teams, as this is crucial for driving innovation and delivering solutions at Samsara.

Showcase Your Growth Mindset

Samsara looks for candidates who are lifelong learners and are eager to grow. Be prepared to discuss how you have embraced challenges in your career, learned from failures, and sought out opportunities for professional development. This could include taking on new responsibilities, pursuing additional training, or adapting to new technologies.

Be Ready for Behavioral Questions

Expect behavioral questions that assess your problem-solving abilities, leadership skills, and how you handle challenges. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses. This will help you provide clear and concise answers that demonstrate your qualifications and fit for the role.

Prepare for a Culture Fit Assessment

Samsara places a strong emphasis on cultural fit. Be prepared to discuss how your values align with their principles, such as focusing on customer success, building for the long term, and being inclusive. Reflect on your past experiences and how they relate to these values, as this will help you convey your compatibility with the company culture.

Stay Professional and Positive

Despite some negative experiences shared by candidates, maintain a professional demeanor throughout the interview process. If you encounter any unprofessional behavior, focus on showcasing your skills and experiences rather than letting it affect your performance. A positive attitude can leave a lasting impression on your interviewers.

Follow Up Thoughtfully

After your interview, send a thoughtful thank-you email to your interviewers. Express your appreciation for the opportunity to interview and reiterate your enthusiasm for the role and the company. This not only shows your professionalism but also reinforces your interest in joining the Samsara team.

By following these tips, you can position yourself as a strong candidate for the Software Engineer role at Samsara. Good luck!

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a Software Engineer interview at Samsara. The interview process will likely assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. Expect a mix of coding challenges, system design questions, and behavioral inquiries that reflect the company's values and mission.

Coding and Algorithms

1. Can you describe a time when you had to debug a complex issue in your code? What steps did you take?

This question aims to evaluate your problem-solving skills and debugging process.

How to Answer

Discuss a specific instance where you encountered a challenging bug, detailing the steps you took to identify and resolve the issue. Highlight your analytical approach and any tools or techniques you used.

Example

“In a recent project, I faced a critical bug that caused the application to crash intermittently. I started by reviewing the logs to identify patterns and then used a debugger to step through the code. After isolating the issue to a race condition, I implemented a locking mechanism to ensure thread safety, which resolved the problem.”

2. Write a function to reverse a string. What is the time complexity of your solution?

This question tests your coding skills and understanding of algorithm efficiency.

How to Answer

Provide a clear and efficient solution, explaining your thought process and the time complexity of your approach.

Example

“I would use a two-pointer technique to reverse the string in place. The time complexity is O(n) since we traverse the string once.”

3. How would you implement a function to check if two strings are anagrams?

This question assesses your understanding of string manipulation and algorithm design.

How to Answer

Explain your approach, whether using sorting or a hash map, and discuss the time complexity.

Example

“I would use a hash map to count the occurrences of each character in both strings. If the counts match, they are anagrams. This approach has a time complexity of O(n).”

4. Can you explain the difference between a stack and a queue? Provide an example of when you would use each.

This question evaluates your understanding of data structures.

How to Answer

Define both data structures and provide practical examples of their use cases.

Example

“A stack is a LIFO structure, useful for scenarios like undo functionality in applications. A queue is FIFO, ideal for task scheduling, such as print jobs in a printer queue.”

5. Describe how you would design a URL shortening service. What considerations would you take into account?

This question tests your system design skills and ability to think through a real-world application.

How to Answer

Discuss the components of the system, including database design, scalability, and potential bottlenecks.

Example

“I would use a relational database to store the original URLs and their shortened versions. I’d implement a hashing function to generate unique keys and consider caching for frequently accessed URLs to improve performance.”

System Design

1. How would you design a system to handle real-time data from IoT devices?

This question assesses your ability to design scalable systems.

How to Answer

Outline the architecture, including data ingestion, processing, and storage components.

Example

“I would use a message broker like Kafka for data ingestion, process the data with a stream processing framework like Apache Flink, and store it in a time-series database for efficient querying.”

2. Describe the architecture of a web application you have built. What were the key components?

This question evaluates your practical experience with web application design.

How to Answer

Discuss the technologies used, the architecture (e.g., microservices, monolithic), and how you ensured scalability and reliability.

Example

“I built a microservices-based web application using Node.js for the backend and React for the frontend. Key components included an API gateway for routing requests, a load balancer for distributing traffic, and a database cluster for data storage.”

3. What strategies would you use to ensure high availability in a distributed system?

This question tests your knowledge of system reliability.

How to Answer

Discuss redundancy, failover strategies, and monitoring practices.

Example

“I would implement load balancing across multiple servers, use health checks to monitor system status, and set up automatic failover to backup systems in case of failure.”

4. How would you approach designing an API for a new feature?

This question assesses your understanding of API design principles.

How to Answer

Discuss RESTful principles, versioning, and documentation.

Example

“I would start by defining the resources and endpoints, ensuring they follow RESTful conventions. I’d also consider versioning the API and providing comprehensive documentation for developers.”

5. Can you explain how you would handle data consistency in a distributed database?

This question evaluates your understanding of data integrity in distributed systems.

How to Answer

Discuss consistency models (e.g., eventual consistency, strong consistency) and techniques like distributed transactions or conflict resolution.

Example

“I would use eventual consistency for high availability, implementing conflict resolution strategies to handle discrepancies, such as last-write-wins or versioning.”

Behavioral Questions

1. Why do you want to work at Samsara?

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

How to Answer

Discuss your interest in IoT, the impact of the company’s work, and how your values align with theirs.

Example

“I’m passionate about using technology to improve operational efficiency and safety. Samsara’s commitment to leveraging IoT data to drive real-world impact resonates with my career goals.”

2. Describe a time when you had to work with a difficult team member. How did you handle it?

This question evaluates your interpersonal skills and conflict resolution abilities.

How to Answer

Provide a specific example, focusing on your approach to communication and collaboration.

Example

“I once worked with a team member who was resistant to feedback. I scheduled a one-on-one to understand their perspective and shared my concerns constructively. This open dialogue helped us find common ground and improve our collaboration.”

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

This question assesses your time management and organizational skills.

How to Answer

Discuss your approach to prioritization, such as using frameworks or tools.

Example

“I use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks by urgency and importance, allowing me to focus on high-impact activities while managing deadlines effectively.”

4. Can you give an example of a project where you took the lead? What challenges did you face?

This question evaluates your leadership experience and problem-solving skills.

How to Answer

Describe the project, your role, and how you overcame challenges.

Example

“I led a project to implement a new feature in our application. We faced tight deadlines and resource constraints, but by breaking the project into smaller tasks and delegating effectively, we delivered on time.”

5. How do you stay current with technology trends and advancements?

This question assesses your commitment to continuous learning.

How to Answer

Discuss your methods for staying informed, such as reading, attending conferences, or participating in online courses.

Example

“I regularly read industry blogs, participate in webinars, and attend tech meetups to stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in software development.”