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Meet Grokking the System Design Interview
Comprehensive Curriculum: Basics, Trade-offs & Real Systems
Learn from FAANG Experts with a Proven Approach
Interactive, Video-Based Learning (20 Hours Well Spent)
Additional Resources and Next Steps
FAQs

Why Grokking the System Design Interview is the #1 System Design Course

This blog explores why Grokking the System Design Interview is considered the #1 course for system design prep.
System design interviews are often the toughest part of landing a top tech role.
You’re asked to design something like Twitter or Dropbox on the spot—and without the right preparation, it feels impossible to structure a good answer.
That’s where Grokking the System Design Interview shines.
Built by an ex-FAANG engineer, this course has quietly become the gold standard for engineers who want a clear, structured, and beginner-friendly way to master system design.
This course has become the go-to resource for mastering system design interviews – cutting through the confusion.
Let’s find out more about the Grokking the System Design Interview course.
Meet Grokking the System Design Interview
Grokking the System Design Interview is an online course designed by an ex-FAANG engineer (the folks behind interviews at Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc.). It’s widely regarded as the original system design prep resource. It has over 133,000 learners and 30,000+ five-star reviews (average rating 4.7★) – clearly they're doing something right!
Some quick facts about the course at a glance:
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Level: Beginner-friendly (no experience needed)
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Study Time: ~20 hours (65 lessons at your own pace)
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Created by: FAANG veterans who know the interview game inside-out
Comprehensive Curriculum: Basics, Trade-offs & Real Systems
One reason Grokking the System Design Interview stands out is its comprehensive curriculum. It starts from the ground up:
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System Design Basics: The course begins by demystifying core concepts like caching, load balancing, data partitioning, replication, etc. Each concept is explained in plain English with helpful diagrams, so you build a solid foundation even if these terms are new to you. (For more on fundamentals, see our System Design Interview Fundamentals guide.)
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Understanding Trade-offs: The curriculum dedicates an entire section to system design trade-offs – like SQL vs NoSQL. You’ll learn to weigh pros and cons like a true architect. It means you can confidently answer the classic "Why choose X over Y?" questions in interviews.
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Popular System Design Problems: Next, the course walks you through designing real-world systems step by step. In total, you’ll tackle about a dozen popular system design problems (designing services like a URL shortener or a social network, among others) with guided solutions. Each example follows a repeatable method from requirements to scaling, demonstrating how to think through any open-ended design question. After working through them, you'll have a template in mind for tackling any system design question.
Whether you’re just learning what a load balancer is or figuring out how to scale a system like Twitter, this curriculum has you covered from fundamentals to advanced scenarios.
Learn from FAANG Experts with a Proven Approach
Another big reason this course is #1: it’s created and taught by people who have been on both sides of the interview table.
The main instructor is an ex-FAANG hiring manager who has interviewed hundreds of candidates and built large-scale systems.
The author’s insider perspective is invaluable – he knows exactly what questions come up in system design interviews and what distinguishes a great answer from a mediocre one.
Most importantly, he can impart a clear, repeatable strategy to handle any system design question – from asking the right clarifying questions to outlining a scalable architecture and discussing trade-offs.
By practicing this method throughout the course, you'll develop the instincts of a seasoned designer.
In short, you’ll know how to approach each problem step by step, just like the pros do.
Interactive, Video-Based Learning (20 Hours Well Spent)
Along with text, this course uses videos and diagrams to make learning engaging.
You'll also tackle quizzes and real design problems, so it never feels like a passive lecture.
Here's a snapshot of what you get when you enroll:
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Bite-sized lessons: Short and precise lessons with diagrams make complex concepts easy to grasp.
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Real-world design exercises: Guided case studies (e.g. designing Instagram or Uber) and quizzes let you apply what you've learned.
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Updates & Certificate: Lifetime access to course updates, plus a certificate of completion to showcase your new system design skills.
The content is continuously updated to reflect the latest tech trends and best practices, so you're always learning up-to-date material.
The ~20 hours of content are broken into 65 bite-sized lessons, meaning you can fit study sessions into a busy schedule.
Many students spread the course over 2-3 weeks, but you can go as fast or slow as you need – it's completely self-paced.
Additional Resources and Next Steps
As a next step in your prep, here are some resources by Design Gurus worth exploring:
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Grokking System Design Fundamentals – A beginner-level course on core concepts (scalability, caching, databases, etc.) to solidify your foundation.
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System Design Interview Roadmap – A step-by-step roadmap from basics to advanced topics, ensuring you cover system design thoroughly.
Grokking the System Design Interview has earned its reputation as the top system design course by delivering a clear path to success.
It demystifies complex topics and instills the confidence to design like a pro. With the right guidance and practice, you'll be ready to ace your system design interview!
FAQs
Q1: Is Grokking the System Design Interview worth it for interview prep?
Yes. Grokking the System Design Interview is widely considered worth it. This FAANG-crafted course covers all the essential topics from system design basics to advanced case studies, giving you a comprehensive preparation.
Q2: How long does it take to complete the Grokking the System Design Interview course?
The course has ~20 hours of content across 65 lessons. Most people finish in a few weeks by studying a bit daily, but it's self-paced so you can adjust to your schedule.
Q3: Is Grokking the System Design Interview suitable for beginners?
Absolutely. The course is designed for beginners. It starts from square one and gradually moves to more complex topics. You don't need any prior knowledge – by the end you'll be ready to tackle system design questions confidently.
What our users say
Brandon Lyons
The famous "grokking the system design interview course" on http://designgurus.io is amazing. I used this for my MSFT interviews and I was told I nailed it.
Arijeet
Just completed the “Grokking the system design interview”. It's amazing and super informative. Have come across very few courses that are as good as this!
Eric
I've completed my first pass of "grokking the System Design Interview" and I can say this was an excellent use of money and time. I've grown as a developer and now know the secrets of how to build these really giant internet systems.