Byte By Byte Review – Is Sam Gavis-Hughson Legit or Scam?

Are you looking for an honest Byte By Byte review?

Do you want to know whether this platform can help you nail your technical interviews even if you have zero experience?

I will answer all your questions in this article.

Due to how hard it is to pass coding interviews, many SWEs have resorted to interview prep courses like Interview Camp, S30 interview prep, Tech Interview Pro, Interview Kickstart, Byte By Byte, etc.

Today, we are only focusing on Byte By Byte interview prep course.

In this article, I will cover:

• What is Byte By Byte, and how it can help you with your interviews
• Sam Gavis-Hughson review
• 6 weeks to interview ready review
• Byte By Byte cost of registration
• Byte By Byte training overview
• Best Byte By Byte alternative and more

Let’s dive in.

What is Byte By Byte? Sam Gavis-Hughson Review

Byte By Byte is a platform created by Sam Gavis-Hughson to help software engineers nail their technical interviews and land jobs in big tech companies. 

Ever since Sam founded the website in 2006, he has added four solid interview prep courses, which I will explore in this Byte By Byte review.

There is also a blog section on the website where Sam publishes free content on how to prepare for coding interviews.

Byte By Byte Courses Reviews

For this section of the Byte By Byte review, I will explore all the courses Sam has added to the website. They are: 

• CIM: System Design – (best for SWEs who want to nail their System Design interviews)
• CIM: Recursion – (best for SWEs who want to nail their Recursion interviews)
• CIM: Dynamic Programming – (best for SWEs who want to nail their Dynamic Programming interviews)
• Coding Interview Mastery – (best for SWEs who want to ace every aspect of their interviews and land their dream jobs)

Below is a proper breakdown of what each of these courses entails.

1. Byte By Byte System Design Review

CIM: System Design is a course designed to equip software engineers with the knowledge they need to nail their System Design interview without having to read through thousands of pages of textbooks.

So if System Design is the only hurdle you are facing in your interviews, this course might be a good fit for you.

The course comes in 6 modules, and here is the summary of these modules:

The Pyramid of System Design: This lesson teaches you to focus on things that could come up in your interview rather than learning random stuff. Instead of trying to figure out what the interviewer wants you to do, you will learn how to demonstrate what they want to see strategically.

The Psychic Method: You will learn how to read your interviewer’s mind and ask them questions that will give away what they are looking for so you can give the precise answer.

Databases, Distributed Systems, Scaling, and more: You will be taught powerful strategies for solving System Design interview questions, plus all the background info you will need to succeed.

Problem-Solving Approach: There is an exercise that shows you a step-by-step approach to tackling real-world System Design interview questions. This will help you know what to do once you see a question.

Here is how the modules are broken down:

• Module 1: Step by step design framework
• Module 2: Architectural Patterns
• Module 3: Database Design
• Module 4: System Communication
• Module 5: Distributed Systems and Scaling
• Module 6: Common System Design Problems
• Bonus 1: 2 Q&A Call Recordings
• Bonus 2: Object-Oriented Design Masterclass
• Bonus 3: Designing for the End-Users

How Much Does Byte By Byte System Design Course Cost?

You can join byte by byte’s CIM: System Design course by paying a one-time fee of $297 or 4 payments of $87.  In addition, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee that allows you to get your full refund within 30days if you are not satisfied with the course.

The truth is I consider this program to be too expensive because they are better alternatives that offer data structure & algorithm, system design, and many more lessons together for reasonable prices.

However, if System Design is the only part you need help with in your interview, you can give the course a try.

2. Byte By Byte Recursion Review

CIM: Recursion is a course designed to equip you with the knowledge you need to nail your recursion interview even if you suck at interviewing.

The course comes in 6 modules and three extra bonuses. Here is the breakdown of the modules:

Module 1 – Recursion Fundamentals

The first module will quickly review the basic foundations of recursion that everyone needs to know. Here are the details of module 1:

• The 6 core recursive patterns every interviewee should know
• 3 foolproof indicators that you should use recursion
• Solve any recursive problem step-by-step
• The 3 key return types for any recursive function
• How to understand and learn from any recursive code
• When and how to use backtracking, tail recursion, and more

Module 2 – Iteration

In the second module, you will learn everything you need to know about iteration, including how to iterate over various data structures using recursion.

Here is the full breakdown of module 2:

• When should you use recursion vs. iteration?
• How to implement any iterative code recursively
• One trick to simplify your code using recursion
• Strategy for replacing all for loops with recursive calls even when you have multiple nested loops
• Examples in this module include: Insert Element at the Bottom of a Stack, Generating All Substrings of a String, Flattening a 2D Array, etc.

Module 3 – Subproblem

Module 3 goes over subproblems in detail. Here is the breakdown:

• See precisely how subproblems relate to all of our other core recursive patterns
• Learn which problems can be easily broken into subproblems
• How exactly does the problem change depending on your programming language?
• Problems include Stair Stepping, Towers of Hanoi, Is String a Palindrome, etc.

Module 4 – Selection

This module goes over how you can tackle selection patterns in your interview. See the details:

• Cheat code to find any brute force solution and two optimizations that work almost every time
• How to find that first solution so that you can optimize using the FAST Method
• Deep dive into combination problems to help you master these fundamental patterns
• Multiple approaches to each situation and find which works for you
• Problems include: Find All Combinations, 0-1 Knapsack, String Interleaving, and more

Module 5 – Ordering

In this module, you will learn about ordering and how to use permutations to solve common recursive problems. Here are the details covered in this lesson:

• Deep dive into permutations and exactly how to use them to solve many other problems
• Apply many of the concepts and cheat codes from Module 4 to a whole new set of problems
• Consistently find the right time complexity for every solution
• Problems include: Find All Permutations, N-digit Numbers, BST Arrays, and more

Module 6 – Divide & Conquer

This module is where you will learn about Divide & Conquer pattern and two common subpatterns crucial to your interview success. Here is the breakdown:

• Use your new skills to break down some of the most complex recursive problems
• How to quickly solve problems by breaking them into smaller pieces
• How to use the grouping subpattern to solve some of the most difficult problems, like nested parentheses or matrix chain multiplication
• Problems include Binary Search, Unique BSTs, String Compression, Rotated Arrays, and more.

Module 7 – Depth Firts Search

This final module covers some advanced topics that can give you an edge over other candidates. Here is what you will learn:

• The one secret to solving 90% of tree and graph problems
• How to implement DFS for trees, graphs, and many other common approaches
• Problems include: DFS in Trees and Graphs, Find all Combinations via DFS, and more
• Bonus video: The trick you can use to turn any recursive problem into a DFS problem

3 Bonuses

The Byte by Byte recursion course comes with the following bonuses:

• Big O notation
• Downloadable and runnable code samples
• Master call recordings (Pro edition only)

How Much Does Byte By Byte’s Recursion Course Cost?

There are two versions of this course; standard and pro.

You can buy the standard CIM: Recursion course for a one-time fee of $297 or 4 payments of $87. While the pro version costs a one-time price of $597 or 4 payments of $167.

Again, I think this course is too expensive. I recommend you check out CoderPro.  It offers a lot of benefits, especially in the aspect of Recursion. It only costs $80.

3. Byte By Byte Dynamic Programming Review

Byte by Byte’s CIM: dynamic programming is a program created to provide you with the knowledge you need to nail your dynamic programming interview like a pro.

The course is taught in 4 modules:

Module 1 – Dynamic Programming Fundamentals

Here is what you will learn:

• What dynamic programming and why you should know it
• Understanding the difference between top-down and bottom-up solutions

Module 2 – How to Solve Any Dynamic Programming Problem Using the FAST Method

Here are what you will learn:

• Quickly identify any dynamic programming problem
• Learn the FAST Method and solve any dynamic programming problem quickly
• Understanding how to apply the FAST method 

Module 3 – Common Dynamic Programming Problems

Here is the breakdown:

• Learn how to use proven techniques to cut your study time in half while making the concepts stick
• Learn the different dynamic programming patterns with 5 common practice problems
• Experiment with the problem solutions using the Github repo and runnable Java code

Module 4 – Additional Dynamic Programming Resources

Here is the breakdown:

• 7 additional practice problems
• Get answers to all of the most frequently asked questions
• Learn from the live Q&A call with my beta students
• Lifetime access to the course

How Much Does Byte By Byte’s Dynamic Programming Course Cost?

With a one-time investment of $99, you can get lifetime access to Sam Gavis-Hughson’s dynamic programming course. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the class.

You can still buy CoderPro to improve your dynamic programming knowledge. The creator of the program, a former Google and Facebook engineer, will walk you through several topics (not only dynamic programming) for a reasonable price.

Related: Code with Mosh Courses review

4. Byte By Byte Coding Interview Mastery Review

Note: Coding Interview Mastery is formerly called 6 weeks to interview-ready. So you can also consider this section to be 6 weeks to interview ready review.

Coding Interview Mastery is Byte By Byte’s flagship course (formerly called 6 weeks to interview-ready). The course is designed to equip software engineers with the resources, training, and skills they need to ace their technical interviews.

It takes around 8-12 weeks to complete this training, and it’s delivered in video lessons, PDF workbooks, group coaching sessions, and a Facebook community.

Coding Interview Mastery is taught in 6 modules, including bonuses that help strengthen your knowledge. It’s a solid interview prep course for SWEs.

Here is the breakdown of the modules, including all the bonuses:

Module 0: Start Here

It contains the following lessons and resources:

• Welcome To Coding Interview Mastery
• Table of Contents and Course Walkthrough
• 2 Week, 6 Week, and General Study Plans
• Accessing the Student Community
• Weekly Live Group Coaching Sessions
• Weekly Accountability Check-ins

Module 1: How To Win At Interviewing And Ditch Memorization For Good

It contains the following lessons and resources:

• How To Win At Interviews Using This Program
• Train Your Brain For Success And Never Get Truly “Stuck”
• Know Exactly When You’re Interview Ready
• Module 1 Workbook
• Coding Interview Self Evaluation
• Interview Prep Tracker
• Greenlight Benchmarks: Do These Before Moving To Module 2

Module 2: From Framework To First Draft — How To Never Leave A Problem Unsolved

It contains the following lessons and resources:

• Your Coding Interview Success Framework
• Understanding The Problem With the R.I.O.T. Framework
• Finding Your First Draft Solution
• Module 2 Workbook
• Module 2 Quiz
• [Bonus] Breaking The Problem With Brute Force
• Greenlight Benchmarks: Do These Before Moving To Module 3

Module 3: Optimize ANY Code And Blow Your Interviewer Away

It contains the following lessons and resources:

• Optimize Your Solution With The Order Of Optimizations
• How To Know The Goal
• Make Your Code More Efficient By Nipping The BUDs
• Find A Next Level Solution With Ultimate Optimizations
• Module 3 Workbook
• [Bonus] Special Skills: Greedy Algorithms & Dynamic Programming
• Module 3 Quiz
• Greenlight Benchmarks: Do These Before Moving To Module 4

Module 4: Code Up The Perfect Solution And Test It With Confidence

It contains the following lessons and resources:

• Coding Solutions To Impress Your Interviewer
• How To Code During Every Type Of Interview
• Solve Simpler Problems
• Test & Debug Your Code With Confidence
• Module 4 Workbook
• [Bonus] Testing Your Code By Hand
• Module 4 Quiz
• Greenlight Benchmarks: Do These Before Moving To Module 5

Module 5: Use The Coding Interview Success Framework To Nail Your Interviews

It contains the following lessons and resources:

• Unlock The Secret Weapon: Your Interviewer
• Timing, Pacing, And How To Get Faster
• Getting Unstuck During An Interview
• Module 5 Workbook
• Module 5 Quiz
• Greenlight Benchmarks: Do These Before Moving To Module 6

Module 6: Mastering Behavioral Interviews – How To Sell Yourself And Tell Great Stories

It contains the following lessons and resources:

• Win Behavioral Interviews By Eliminating Mistakes
• Capture Their Attention: Crafting A Compelling Personal Narrative
• Confidently Answer Any Question: Create Your Story Database
• Module 6 Workbook
• Module 6 Quiz
• Greenlight Benchmarks: Do These Before Moving To Next Steps

Bonuses

• Coding Interview Mastery: System Design
• Coding Interview Mastery: Recursion and DP
• Data Structures & Algorithms Primer
• 50+ Interview Questions
• 5 Mock Interviews
• Fearless Salary Negotiation Crash Course

How Much Does Byte By Byte’s Coding Interview Mastery Cost?

Byte By Byte interview prep course (Coding Interview Mastery) can cost $2000 upward. There is also a chance to ask for a refund within 30 days of buying the course.

To join the course, you must first sign up for free training. Once you finish the training, you will need to fill out a form to schedule a free calling session. 

It’s until then before you know how much you will be paying for the training. The least you should expect is $2000.

Do I recommend this course? NO!.

Why?

One, It’s too expensive. Looking at the content of the course, it’s undoubtedly overpriced. There are better alternatives that teach everything in Coding Interview Mastery and more and come at a far lower price.

Secondly, It’s more suitable for SWEs with years of experience. If you are a fresh graduate or have less than 3 years of engineering experience, you will find the course a bit tough. I expected it to be more beginner-friendly and adequately laid out so that it fits every SWE’s current status.

Is there a better alternative? Yes.

What about a coding interview course that teaches everything inside Coding Interview Mastery, provides more advanced lessons, and comes at a budget-friendly price?

Sounds perfect, right?

This is why I highly recommend Tech Interview Pro, a proven program for nailing coding interviews like a pro and landing high-paying tech jobs.

Tech Interview Pro vs Coding Interview Mastery

Tech Interview Pro is an interview prep program created by a former Google and Facebook software engineer, Patrick Shyu (mostly called Techlead), who has been directly involved in 100+ technical interviews with Google.

Techlead compressed everything he has learned from conducting technical interviews for Google into this course. He will walk you through everything you need to know and do before the interview, during the interview, and after the interview.

Here are the advantages of Tech Interview Pro and why it’s better than Byte By Byte’s Coding Interview Mastery:

1. Covers More Ground

Tech Interview Pro is a very detailed course that teaches both the technical and behavioral aspects of the interview. The training contains 20+ hours of video lessons. 

Here is the full breakdown of TIP’s outline:

Note: If you want to know more about what this course has to offer, read the full Tech Interview Pro Review here.

You can see that TIP is more perfectly planned than CIM. Techlead (who has worked as a software engineer for Facebook, Google, Sony, Microsoft, etc.) understands the interview process, and everything recruiters look out for. He only includes the lessons you need to ace your interview rather than occupying your brain with random lessons.

2. Invite-Only Facebook Group

Once you buy TIP, you will be granted access to a private Facebook group where you can find former and present students of the course. You will also see students posting about their success stories.

The stories of other SWEs are enough to learn from. You can interact directly with students who have secured jobs and those preparing for their interviews. 

3. Resume Reviews

This is one of the enormous benefits you can get with Tech Interview Pro but not with Coding Interview Mastery. The course creator, an Ex-Google and Facebook Tech Lead who has conducted more than 100 interviews, will review your resume when applying for a job.

He knows what these tech companies are looking for, so he will make sure you submit the best resume that presents you as the best candidate for the job.

4. Bi-Weekly Q&A Sessions

The bi-weekly Q&A session is another benefit of Tech Interview Pro you can’t get with other courses. If you need more clarity about a topic or issue, you can ask the course creator in these live sessions.

Some sample questions you might want to ask in the Q&A sessions include:

• I want to get hired at Amazon. How do I get started?
• I didn’t get the internship I wanted at Google. What should I work on over the next 6 months to ensure I get the next one?
• I have an upcoming phone screening on Facebook. What should I be thinking about?
• I have an upcoming interview at Microsoft. How should I prepare?

Every Q&A session is recorded. You’ll gain access to all previous Q&A sessions once you join Tech Interview Pro.

Even if you aren’t asking questions, you can learn from what other students say concerning their interviews or their next moves.

The best part is you don’t have to pay any extra fee to access this feature; it comes with the Tech Interview Pro one-time fee.

5. Frequent Update + Lifetime Access

Tech Interview Pro costs only a one-time fee, which gives you access to the course for life.

You will also get access to new updates without paying an extra dime. The course is a living course that keeps improving over time. Once you buy it, you will have access to all future updates.

If you want to know more about what this course has to offer, read the full Tech Interview Pro Review here.

Tech Interview Pro Reviews & Success Stories From Students

As of today, 2,000+ SWEs have received job offers from FAANG companies after passing through the program, nearly all of whom are earning $150,000 or more per year. See what students that have taken Tech Interview Pro are saying about the course:

How Much Does Tech Interview Pro Cost?

Considering the value Tech Interview Pro provides, you will think it would be more expensive than Coding Interview Mastery, right? It’s not.

The regular price for Tech Interview Pro is a one-time investment of $997.

However, I was able to cut down the price by 40% for my readers by negotiating a discount with the course creator.

If you use this discount link, you can pay $597 to access the entire course. The offer will end soon.

And if you go through the course and you are not impressed within 14 days, you can ask for a refund.

If you want to know more about what this course has to offer, read the full Tech Interview Pro Review here.

Byte By Byte vs Interview Kickstart

Interview Kickstart is another value-packed technical interview Bootcamp that trains SWEs on how to nail their interviews. 

Like Byte By Byte’s interview prep course, Interview Kickstart is very expensive ($6,300) and most suitable for engineers with over 5 years of experience.

If you compare Byte By Byte vs Interview Kickstart, the only difference is that the latter provides much more value than the former. 

However, Tech Interview Pro can provide you with more benefits than both courses at a far more reasonable price.

Byte By Byte Review: Is it the Best Technical Interview Prep Platform?

At the end of this Byte By Byte review, I highly recommend Tech Interview Pro to nail your coding interviews and land the tech job you always wanted.

It’s way cheaper, simplified, offers more value, and more. You can use this discount link to get $400 off the regular price.

If you want to know more about what this course has to offer, read the full Tech Interview Pro Review here.

Related:

Interview Kickstart Review

What is the Cost of Interview Kickstart

Pramp Interview Review

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