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