Your System Design Interview Prep, All in One Place
If you've ever stared at a blank page trying to sketch out a load balancer or explain how a distributed cache works under pressure, you know the drill. System design interviews are less about memorizing facts and more about having a mental framework you can apply on the fly. The problem is, those frameworks don't come from reading one blog post. They come from having the right resources at your fingertips.
That's where this repo comes in. It's not another "here's a list of 50 links" situation. It's a curated, structured collection that actually grows with you from cheat sheets to full mock tests. Let's look at what's inside.
What It Does
The repository acts as a consolidated hub for system design interview preparation. Instead of bouncing between scattered Medium articles, YouTube videos, and random PDFs, you get everything organized in one place. It covers core concepts like scalability, consistency, and partitioning, but it doesn't stop at theory.
The real value is in the practical layers. You get access to cheat sheets that condense key trade-offs (like when to use a message queue vs. a database trigger), and then you can move on to mock interview questions that simulate the real experience. The structure encourages a workflow: learn the basics, review the patterns, then test yourself under time constraints.
Why It's Cool
Most resource lists are static. This one feels like a study plan. The organization is thoughtful for how developers actually think. You don't just get "CAP Theorem" as a definition. You get it in the context of how it affects your design choices in a real scenario.
The inclusion of mock tests is the standout feature. There's a huge gap between knowing what a distributed hash table is and being able to design a URL shortener that scales to millions of requests. The repo bridges that gap by providing prompts that push you to think through the trade-offs out loud, just like you'd do in an actual interview.
It also avoids the trap of being too opinionated. It presents multiple approaches and lets you decide which one fits the problem. That's invaluable because in a real interview, the best answer is often "it depends," and you need to be comfortable explaining why.
How to Try It
You don't need to install anything. It's a public GitHub repository, so you can just head over and browse.
git clone https://github.com/javabuddy/best-system-design-resources.git
Or, if you prefer to just look at it in the browser, click the link and start reading. I'd suggest starting with the cheat sheets folder, then attempting one mock test a day to build your stamina. No login, no setup, no hidden paywall. It's open source and ready to go.
Final Thoughts
I like this repo because it treats interview prep like skill training, not cramming. It doesn't promise you'll get a job at a big tech company if you grind through it for 48 hours. It gives you the tools to build your own mental models, which is what actually sticks.
Whether you're two weeks out from an interview or just want to get better at talking about architecture at your current job, this is a solid resource to have bookmarked. It's the kind of thing you'll come back to multiple times, and for free, that's hard to beat.
Found this via @githubprojects