SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: What happens when a physics PhD and former pro poker player decides to break into big tech? Drew sits down with Shawn Strausser to break down how he went from burnout to hired by Meta as a Senior MLE. You’ll hear the full story, from his initial struggles applying to 500+ jobs with no interviews, to the moment a spam-folder recruiting email from Meta changed everything.
Along the way, we pause to reflect on Shawn’s live mock ML system design interview, highlighting key moments, strategies, and insights that helped him land a role as a machine learning engineer. If you’re preparing for system design or ML interviews, this one’s packed with gold.
Watch Shawn’s full mock interview here: https://youtu.be/Q-g9nGDBUpY?si=pC896LpbRDRvPLNa
Book your own mock interview: https://interviewing.io
Connect with Shawn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-strausser-93aa8620b/
Sign up to book coaching or to watch more interviews in our showcase: https://www.interviewing.io
See the interviewer’s feedback and transcript here: https://start.interviewing.io/showcase/KQwiaFnBEwAL
Or view other Meta interviews: https://interviewing.io/mocks?company=meta
Disclaimer: All interviews are shared with explicit permission from the interviewer and the interviewee, and all interviews are anonymous. interviewing.io has the sole right to distribute this content.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:24 Interview begins: Shawn’s background and path to Meta
19:39 Commentary: prepping to perform in interviews
23:39 Interview: mock interview begins
26:00 Commentary: feedback on outlining and preparation
26:35 Interview: data features and fraud detection
32:00 Commentary: fusion and feature discussion
32:21 Interview: early vs. late fusion
36:00 Commentary: bias and human labeling
37:00 Interview: modeling architecture and label bias
40:41 Commentary: real-world complexity of label bias
43:43 Interview: clarifying questions and best practices
48:03 Commentary: content fusion and meme example
50:41 Interview: pivotal interview moment
52:07 Commentary: rehearsal strategy
53:45 Interview: mindset, sleep, and sustainability
55:41 Final commentary and outro
