Consistency to Dominance | Top 50 on LeetCode in India | SDE ft. Rishabh Parsana @CodeWithRam01

Hinzugefügt: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]Hello everyone. Today we have Risha Baya and he is one of like top 50 on lead code and also CP which is another exposure and yeah over to you. How are you?

[00:00:18]Hi Ram first of all thanks for inviting me to your channel. uh as you have introduced me like myself Rishab I have around two years of experience working as a software engineer currently I worked with Kuba uh before this uh I have worked with Zita and Z associates and yeah like uh in my college days I was very much involved in competitive programming and DSA in general so yeah that's it about me >> so that's really quick and short introduction I CP is not a easy journey.

[00:01:06]What do you think?

[00:01:09]Uh yes I think there is a issue of guidance like and that's not just specific to CP I think it's specific to like everything we can say people have different opinions like even when I remember like I started around the end of my first year so people had varied opinions like some of them suggested me to start with code forces some of them told me to solve a DSA sheet or even some of them told me to not do DSA and >> go for building projects and stuff.

[00:01:45]>> I think the miss is mostly the guidance part but what helped me is to uh hear out everyone but to honestly follow the ones who uh I looked up to.

[00:02:00]>> Okay. So yeah, I think that is something which everyone can follow >> and the one thing starting year and in fact I'm not talking about me and everyone in coding right What do you think?

[00:02:39]Not a DSA but obviously you are done good in DSA, CP and everything but in webd also to excel anything.

[00:02:52]I think like u yeah to be honest like I think building the path and having the right track is very important like I have wasted a lot of I think that I could have utilized my time better like it's not that I have wasted >> but yeah even when I started like I started with uh geeks for geeks >> okay >> it's a amazing platform it's nothing on that but uh I used to solve mostly the DSA sheets and like it came down to a point that I did not realize but I was mugging up the solutions.

[00:03:25]>> Okay.

[00:03:26]>> So that is something which I think this is something which I did for six to eight months.

[00:03:31]>> Okay.

[00:03:31]>> In continuous >> the better thing which I think could have been is to go up CP algorithms is a wonderful website and uh to solve problems there is a CSS problem set which is absolutely amazing for everyone out there. So when you have a lot of time then you should not go for the shortcuts. it. DSA sheets are like those things which you do before an interview.

[00:03:55]But first you have to build your problem solving ability and like the thinking capacity which is built through contest which is built through unique set of problems and which is built through quality questions and uh the right uh platforms where we can study. So yeah, I think the guidance part is very important. It's not just for CP but uh for webdev and everything else because otherwise it just takes up a lot of your time and you realize it >> very >> uh so uh let's talk about particular platform I mainly you did a great in lead code and also I guess and forces also I don't know you feel but the thing is so as a CP programmer soces in fact also so what do you think like but I think competitive programming should be treated as a necessity. It's not like uh like if someone is in their first or second year, they should definitely go for competitive tech programming.

[00:05:20]>> Okay?

[00:05:20]>> Because once you enter your third year and if you have spent a lot of time on the CP platforms like code forces, core chef, ad coder is a another gem of a platform which really few people know about. But once you go all in those CP platforms for about a it takes about a year to get good with those platforms uh like it took me around 1.5 years to reach expert on code forces and that was like regularly I was giving contest like I did not miss any contest I even gave the virtual contest of like past one or two years >> crazy >> and codechef code shift is a secondary platform I would say but code forces is something which you can spend spend time in it's very much worth it because once you enter the other platforms like geeks for geeks and read code if there is a programmer who is very good at code forces he has spent like around any year on code forces he's rated amount about let's say even if he's rated around 1 1400 or 1500 once he goes to a platform like lead code or things are very simple for him he will feel that these are like just basics he still have to memorize DSA and like understand the algorithms like trees, link list and those stuff.

[00:06:36]>> Okay.

[00:06:37]>> But the main part which is the DP and graphs those knowledge like that is very much built by code forces I would say.

[00:06:45]>> So I think the two platforms which has really helped me one of them is and other of them is code forces. Okay. If I would have to talk about a third platform that would be at coder because I used to give at coder beginner contests which were there uh on every Saturday I think around 5:30 or 5 but uh one thing which I would like to emphasize on it's like solving problems in a timed manner like if we just keep on solving problems it's in our comfort zone we are listening to a song and we are solving problems >> once we go in a timed manner like you have given 10 to 20 contest then in the 21st contest there will be a thing going in the back of your mind that I have to perform better.

[00:07:28]>> Yes.

[00:07:28]>> Otherwise it will be a signal that I'm not improving.

[00:07:32]>> There is a pressure when you are solving question there is a pressure that I have to solve this quick would I be able to there are also very uh you will feel demotivated at times that even if you are working hard but you are still not seeing the results. Uh I remember there was a time in my journey like uh in go forces it was around six months I just uh in a random night I just visualized and I saw that in the six months I'm just jumping through the same rating.

[00:07:58]Okay.

[00:07:59]>> It's really demotivating. But the thing which it prepares you is like when you are giving away of a company >> they hands don't shiver it's like a muscle memory which you develop with time and if you stay consistent if you stay consistent like it's kind of a pleasure or a feeling of solving problems which will eventually get you to become a better problem solver and your rating will eventually improve.

[00:08:25]>> Yes.

[00:08:26]doing contest on at least one of a platform is very important. I used to do it on all but uh you should at least pick up one of the platform if you are serious about complative programming or DAS.

[00:08:38]Uh additionally if you are serious about CP but the thing is connected we need to excel particular coding subject then okay that really good and add question everyone asking Yes.

[00:09:30]So I think programming language to be honest does not matter much.

[00:09:35]>> But uh if someone is doing just for CP then I would say C++ >> yes >> or Python is also fine but I would say go for C++. Go for a language which is object- oriented >> which has the principles of oops pointers and those stuff >> so that you understand at least one language in depth >> so that once you enter the industry like it's at least you have the confidence that you know one language >> yes >> otherwise you can go for Java Java is another like >> I guess Java is all under right >> uh yeah correct Java is also a very good language the reason people prefer C++ is like there is a little more content, a little more help which is provided online for C++ and it's a bit fast.

[00:10:21]>> Okay.

[00:10:22]>> So that works well. But I think C++ or Java are the best choices.

[00:10:26]>> So I use C++.

[00:10:30]>> Okay. Then Java Java currently in my company I work mostly on Ruby on Rails and React and >> I'm a fullstack developer. So but mostly in back end it's Ruby on >> okay fine. So additionally according one thing I heard many people top questions in their market But somehow different I think first of all she end the interview is there in the next two months and you are not prepared like you have not even done language properly.

[00:11:35]Yes, >> that that is the time when you pick up sheets. So it's like you are just like we are going through the previous year those five question maybe four of them strike and we get in but time so they should not go up for sheets. Sheets is the last priority which should be there like it's the other platforms and like the quality problems to be honest like sheets is uh something which is very low level but I would still say that if uh like all in all the interviews which I have given at least like I used to follow styard sheet uh strive DSA sheet like it has around I think 450 questions and another sheet has around 100 or 150 questions but do uh before any of my big interview like I just used to revise all the problems and once you solve so many problems like solving sheets is like a piece of cake for you like you just read through the problem next next next so that is a thing but don't go for sheets if someone is there in their first second or even the middle of their third year >> okay >> so from here uh let's take an example uh I'm sitting in a CP competition or any ICPC right so competition as a participant and I multiple problems so how I approached every problem not every but how to start writing code so for coding contest it's very simple Like for coding contest the problems are structured 1 2 3 4. So we start with easy go for medium and then hard. Maybe sometimes it's a chance that the hard question just catches your eye >> and it's like it's a topic which you are very much familiar with. So you go for hard in competitions like ICPC becomes really tricky. So ICPC like what we used to do is like all three of us we used to go for three different kind of problems >> okay >> and just we used to read those problems and maybe out of us three one of them one of us would say that this problem looks simple or let's say that the submissions are increasing on this problem so through that we used to identify that this is a problem which we solve first >> okay >> so So in ICPC it becomes tricky. It's uh but also in ICBC I've seen that uh it's the prelims round where the timing really matters because once you enter the regionals the quality of problems is so good that uh if you are worthy only then you will make it like it's not the timing issue I think which eliminates the people it's uh if someone is going from regionals to Asia West finals like they are really really great problem solvers it's not just the timing which wins and things.

[00:14:46]>> Okay. Let's talk about a little bit your college life.

[00:14:53]Uh so my college was dabb.

[00:14:58]>> So college like our college culture was really great. Attendance policies were very lenient.

[00:15:06]>> Okay.

[00:15:06]>> And like we used to have fun a lot. But I was blessed that u in my college there was a really good CP culture like all Some of my seniors like who I still talk to sometimes like uh they were really great at competitive programming and when we were juniors we used to see that how well they are performing like >> yes >> I remember that some of them even got rank one on code chef and they were candidate masters and like really superb in uh coding. So we were blessed with that culture and even our batchmates there was unhealthy competition between uh some of us like uh so that really motivated me uh to perform better and even my friend circle was in a way that we used to chill but also like we used to be serious about the contest and those things like it became a part of our life. It was more like a game for us like we will give contest from 8 to 10 and then we will go out to uh eat something or do something else but like the contest is something which we uh would make sure that every contest we would give like >> I remember that uh in my college days around two years we like I did not miss miss any single contest on lead code and uh it was around 300 contest uh if I remember I've given uh every week there is 1.5 like every alternate week there is a bi-weekly contest and every week there is a weekly contest >> but I've given around 300 contest and uh like with time I saw the improvement like uh initially I was unable to even solve one problem and then there were times when I once I got second rank in India in in a particular contest >> crazy >> so it's like uh it becomes a part of your life I think uh once you have a circle it's really good and I think in college we can maintain that.

[00:17:03]>> Uh you said you are second rank in all over India and also you are the one the topest programmer. Uh so how you feel and your friend how you treat is there any difference?

[00:17:30]>> Uh I think so like if if I talk about my college friend circle like even they were very good coders. So >> okay >> uh even uh my roommates they were very much into coding and like uh we used to discuss questions and like it's like uh we have grown together like uh there was a stage where we were all learning and then after that we used to like u do really well like with time we saw the results and like there is no feeling of uh he's better or like it's like uh I'm blessed to be a part of a circle that we don't treat jealousy in that way. It's like both of us will go up. It's not like someone will pull you down or something.

[00:18:14]It's just I remember that when I got my internship at Zeta like they were more happier than me like my groupmates. So that is something which I think I have done well in my college life is to make good friends >> and and here is my take a little bit. Uh one thing I personally feel or observe with our my friends if you are good if you are positive person if you are good you're not going to take anything from them.

[00:18:51]So yeah that's really good point and along with a senior developer almost how you feel and working.

[00:19:11]So I think like I remember that internship like it was a I think one of the top product based companies like I used to work at Zita and my manager just told me that uh for the first two three years don't focus on AI like focus on writing code okay >> and in that time like even his perspective made sense but if someone tells this kind of statement at current day like you are is traveling behind like it's all on AI the companies are focusing and leveraging everything but as a as your learning is concerned like uh I think it's it was a good thing that in our college days like at least in my college days there was not much AI so when we were learning language or when we were learning DSA like we used to focus and put our effort there so at least uh there is a language and at least you know the ability to think >> yes >> nowadays it's very tough like once I've entered the corporate world. I see this difference between me and the other senior developers. The other senior developers who know uh the things internally like >> yes >> how let's say SQL works, how the database works, how the query system works, everything. So there is a difference I see in my knowledge and their knowledge and it's uh because they got the exposure and right now we don't have the option to go for the coding because the deadlines are so strict right we have to make it uh but uh like I think with time we have to like also make sure that we are not kind of going behind we are understanding what AI is doing why coding is not something I think is good like I have an idea.

[00:20:56]>> Yes. So u what how currently I leverage it is like uh whenever I am asking it something or whenever it's coding for me or like uh whenever I'm taking itself I used to like I currently also try to grill it on every everything it gives me like it's not something I will just follow blindfolded. If it's giving a suggestion then I using my understanding I say why this why not this.

[00:21:23]>> Yes. uh if in VR key is just making a function as use memo then why use memo if there is no heavy computation involved so those kind of things are somewhere where your basics come into play focus is lot in the companies on AI automation like how we can automate the entire coding process but still there are uh lots of gaps which AI is currently giving like the code it generates is not of the proper quality it's it's never the code which you can just uh push at one go you have to do refinements even if you make 10 MD files or like the super optimized MD files it's not something you can just push on one go >> okay >> there is lot of updates needed and even when the bugs come up it's like the human intervention is definitely required the thing with changes is like how you prompt it >> okay >> uh I have seen two kinds of people one of them like using AI superbly like in everything like the prompt is perfect and like the skills are updated and uh I I have also seen the people who are just using AI as a kind of a query kind of thing like basic query and like they are just not analyzing it. So it's better if we kind of drill down on AI and like the understanding is very important nowadays but uh also we have to make sure that the fundamentals uh are updated.

[00:22:50]>> Yes. Uh so like particular you tell me I guess how do you use and how to do prompting?

[00:23:06]Sure. Okay fine. So let's take an example right? So particular weather then right now is nothing learning scheme and also I'm building a project.

[00:23:30]So how I approach with the prompting part and also the coding part.

[00:23:35]Uh so I am assuming that you are someone who is in the learning stage right like you are just doing uh implementing trying to implement weather app for your understanding. So uh the best way like even when I am currently working on some system design problem or trying to build something what I tell Chad like I currently work with Lord but what I tell uh any AI model is like uh can how can I structure this like I just tell it first of all to give me the requirements what is expected >> and then I like I just think and I just brainstorm and just I give it a kind of a highle solution that uh This can be the route, this can be the API call, right? Like this I can uh store it, this can be the controller, those stuff. And then on the high level, it grills me like the approach should not be that just generate me a weather app.

[00:24:29]>> Yes, >> it should be that uh okay, I want to build something, I want to learn in this direction, so can you guide me in that way. So it's like a senior who is guiding you. He's not it's not just telling you uh it's not just giving out the code to you. It's guiding you at each step and like it first of all tells you okay what are the APIs which you are thinking of if it's a weather app it it like if it's some other complex app like a restaurant management system let's say it will tell you first of all that what are the entities which you can think of >> then after the entities like you go for the primary key you go for the databases and then you go for the coding stuff >> but uh it's like you have to use AI in a way that uh it's sequential it's not just give me the whole code and then I will just store it in my GitHub and my profile looks good.

[00:25:17]>> Yes. Yes.

[00:25:19]>> So that is a way of using AI that you have to make sure that uh print dot is not happening like it's uh your thinking capacity is improving with time.

[00:25:27]>> Yes.

[00:25:29]>> Okay. Okay. Got it. Thank you. And with the end I end with the system design.

[00:25:36]So I'm also learning because you said I really like the point.

[00:25:49]Why system design and project then after functions nonfunctionals requirement then datad for everyone who is currently in college like when you work in a company it's not DSA like DSA will improve your uh analytical ability and your capacity to think in terms of edge cases but uh the basic the most important thing which you are going to do is uh if you are in the initial stages then mostly it will be LLD >> yes >> so low-level design is uh something very important that when you are designing a system it's not just like generate me the code first of all you uh like make the classes you make the relationships between those classes and then you establish some uh foreign key those kind of stuff and then you go in the after the schema schema designing part like first of all you clarify first of all you clarify the requirements then you build the schema and then you go into the code. So the schema building and everything that is where LLD comes in and in real world like we deal with a lot of different kind of problems like problems like performance problems like latency problems like uh let's say N plus1 all these kind of things are in performance only but uh there are lot of different kind of problems and bottlenecks which we go for uh so that is where the low-level design kind of jumps comes in high level design is like u something which comes up like in the later part of your life even that is something which both of them are something which I am currently also upskilling towards but I think as a college fresher or like a college um fourth year student like you should at least be good with oops and low-level design >> okay >> because uh that is something which you are going to do in your company and I think that is something which even most of the interviewers are looking for currently it's not mostly the DSA part.

[00:28:09]Uh and when you are good with DSA like it's something which uh I think it gives you a lot of edge once you are good with DSA.

[00:28:18]>> Okay. And thank you so much for coming and the learnings and everything is really really pure insanely. So any tips you want to share to me and to viewers?

[00:28:31]Uh I think like uh one thing is that uh uh there is a lot of luck also which is involved. It's not like always a preparation part will guarantee you everything. So uh you have to develop that ability with time that even if there is luck then you >> uh kind of don't get too much demotivated that you stop doing your putting in your work. It's like uh because I've seen it it in my college days also like plays a very important factor. uh but it's your ability to handle those rejections with grace. Each rejection teaches you something like each interview like uh when there is an interview scheduled you learn at a pace which is insane like you will not study for those 10 days if there was not an interview. So you have to treat things positively. You have to take things positively I think. So that is one of the things which I think you and both your followers can follow like uh to not get disheartened by unlucky instances because one day or the other the luck will play out.

[00:29:35]>> Okay. Yeah. Thank you so much for coming and yeah have a good day and have a good night. Thank you so much.

[00:29:42]>> Bye-bye. Thank you.