SimpliSafe Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

SimpliSafe is a high-tech home security company dedicated to protecting the life you’ve built with a mission of keeping Every Home Secure. Their innovative and collaborative culture is designed to help employees grow and thrive. SimpliSafe operates on a hybrid work model that balances in-office and remote work for flexibility.

SimpliSafe is looking for a passionate and skilled Software Engineer to join their team. As a Software Engineer, you’ll be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software solutions that enhance the capabilities of SimpliSafe’s home security systems. You’ll work on crucial backend and frontend services, ensuring they are reliable, efficient, and user-friendly.

Let Interview Query guide you through the interview process and the SimpliSafe software engineer interview questions to help you prepare for a successful career in this prestigious company. Let’s get started!

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority; however, you can expect the following on a SimpliSafe software engineer interview:

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV is among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the SimpliSafe Talent Acquisition Team will contact you and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be part of the screening process.

Sometimes, the SimpliSafe hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the SimpliSafe Software Engineer role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may revolve around distributed systems, microservices, and various programming languages such as Python, Java, C#, or Go.

In the case of software engineer roles, take-home assignments regarding API design, coding algorithms, and system optimizations are incorporated. Apart from these, your proficiency in software engineering principles, code quality, and best practices may also be assessed during the round.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. During your day at the SimpliSafe office, you’ll undergo multiple interview rounds conducted by various engineers, the CTO, and the Founder/CEO. These rounds, lasting roughly 3 hours with lunch provided, will evaluate your technical abilities, behavioral fit, and experience.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may await you during the onsite interview for the software engineer role at SimpliSafe.

Typically, interviews at SimpliSafe vary by role and team, but commonly, Software Engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. How would you build a model to predict which merchants DoorDash should acquire in a new market?

As a data scientist at DoorDash, describe the steps and features you would use to build a predictive model for identifying potential merchants for acquisition when entering a new market.

2. How would you determine customer service quality through the chat box for small businesses on Facebook Marketplace?

Your team at Facebook focuses on helping small businesses increase sales through the Marketplace app. Explain how you would assess the quality of customer service interactions via the chat box for these businesses.

3. What business health metrics would you track on a dashboard for an e-commerce D2C sock business?

As the person in charge of an e-commerce D2C business selling socks, list and explain the key business health metrics you would monitor on a company dashboard.

4. Write a query to determine if user interactions (likes, comments) lead to higher purchasing volumes.

Given three tables (users, transactions, and events), write a SQL query to analyze whether users who interact on the website (e.g., likes, comments) have a higher purchasing volume compared to those who do not interact.

5. How many more samples are needed to decrease the margin of error from 3 to 0.3?

Given a sample size (n) with a margin of error of 3, calculate the additional samples required to reduce the margin of error to 0.3.

6. What is the mean and variance of the distribution of (2X - Y)?

Given (X) and (Y) are independent random variables with normal distributions (X \sim \mathcal{N}(3, 4)) and (Y \sim \mathcal{N}(1, 4)), determine the mean and variance of (2X - Y).

7. How do you calculate the sample size and power for an AB test?

For an AB test with a test group and a control group:

1. How do you calculate the necessary sample size for accurate measurement?
2. If the sample size is sufficient, should the power increase or decrease to measure very small differences between the groups?

8. How does random forest generate the forest and why use it over logistic regression?

Explain how a random forest creates multiple decision trees and combines their results. Discuss the advantages of random forest over logistic regression, such as handling non-linear data and reducing overfitting.

9. How do we deal with missing square footage data to construct a housing price model?

You have 100K sold listings with 20% missing square footage data. Describe methods to handle missing data, such as imputation techniques or using models that can handle missing values directly.

10. How do you detect and handle correlation between variables in linear regression?

Describe methods to identify correlated variables, such as correlation matrices or VIF. Explain techniques to handle correlation, like removing variables or using regularization. Discuss the impact of ignoring correlation on the regression model.

11. How would you design a model to detect potential bombs at a border crossing?

Outline the design of a model for bomb detection, including input features, output labels, accuracy measurement, and testing procedures. Discuss considerations for model robustness and real-world application.

12. Write a query to get the average order value by gender.

Given three tables representing customer transactions and customer attributes, write a query to get the average order value by gender. We’re looking at the average order value by users who have ever placed an order. Round your answer to two decimal places.

13. Write a function missing_number to find the missing number in an array.

You have an array of integers, nums of length n spanning 0 to n with one missing. Write a function missing_number that returns the missing number in the array. Complexity of (O(n)) required.

14. Write a function to find the index where the sum of the left half equals the right half.

Given a list of integers, find the index at which the sum of the left half of the list is equal to the right half. If there is no index where this condition is satisfied, return -1.

15. Write a function sorting to sort a list of strings in ascending order from scratch.

Given a list of strings, write a function, sorting from scratch to sort the list in ascending alphabetical order. Do not use the built-in sorted function. Return the new sorted list, rather than modifying the list in place. Bonus: Have your solution be (O(n \log(n))).

16. Write a query to extract the earliest date each user played their third unique song.

Given a table of song_plays and a table of users, write a query to extract the earliest date each user played their third unique song. If a user has listened to less than three unique songs, display their name but with a NULL date and song name.

A few tips for acing your SimpliSafe interview include:

1. Know the Company Mission: SimpliSafe is driven by its mission of keeping every home secure. Study their products, services, and core values deeply to understand how your role as a software engineer would contribute to this mission.

2. Be Ready for Technical Challenges: SimpliSafe’s interviews focus on real-world problem-solving rather than trivia. Prepare by brushing up on distributed systems, cloud-based solutions, and performance optimization techniques.

3. Embrace the Culture: SimpliSafe values collaboration, no ego, and customer obsession. Demonstrate these values through examples of past experiences where you showcased teamwork, humility, and a strong user-centric approach.

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at SimpliSafe?

What skills and experience are required for a Software Engineer at SimpliSafe?

To join SimpliSafe as a Software Engineer, you need extensive experience designing and implementing features, including APIs. You should have expertise in at least two major programming languages (e.g., C#, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C++, Go, Python) and a solid understanding of SOLID principles. Experience with cloud-based microservices, and distributed systems, and familiarity with platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP are also crucial. A passion for continuous learning and curiosity are highly valued.

What is it like working at SimpliSafe?

SimpliSafe boasts a no-ego culture of collaboration and innovation, making it a fantastic place for career growth. The company is committed to protecting the life you’ve built while fostering the career you’re building. SimpliSafe embraces a hybrid work model that allows employees to split time between home and office, emphasizing flexibility and productivity. The environment is inclusive, respectful, and driven by shared values.

Why is SimpliSafe hiring Software Engineers?

SimpliSafe is growing and thriving, aiming to disrupt the home security space with innovative solutions. To achieve its mission of keeping every home secure, the company seeks smart, talented, and humble individuals who share the core values of customer obsession, aiming high, and teamwork. Joining SimpliSafe means being part of a team that celebrates both individual and collective achievements.

The interview process at SimpliSafe is structured yet accommodating, demonstrating a commitment to making candidates feel prepared and welcomed.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main SimpliSafe Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about SimpliSafe’s interview process for different positions.

You can also check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!