I wish I could walk away from this behavior. But it's proven challenging in my life. I think studying for the SAT as a kid probably did indeed unlock opportunities. For my professional interviews, I tried to avoid this behavior. I got some nice jobs despite completely ignoring LeetCode and systems design tests. I guess I let my more genuine passion for leadership and FP carry me. Recently, while securing this next job, I found myself, perhaps in some desperation, resorting to studying for these tests explicitly. The LeetCode stuff is a little interesting. They aren't actually bad problems. A little fun. But it makes me sad to invest in them for the wrong reasons. The system design stuff seems like a reasonably good format for assessment. It's just so sad that most people probably administer this interview poorly. I had the idea that I might continue studying these things, trying to keep a good attitude about learning for the sake of learning. But... the new job will start. And life can feel a bit short. And I can feel dumb Nix things pulling at my attention.