The Leetcode Trap: Why Solving 1000 Problems Won’t Make You a Real Problem Solver
If You’ve Solved 1000 Problems and Still Struggle, Here’s Why
You’ve been lied to.
Everyone says, "Grind 200-500 Leetcode problems before your interview."
Everyone follows this mindless formula - because it works, right?
Wrong.
Because if you need to solve 500+ problems just to feel "ready," let’s be brutally honest: you’re not a real problem solver.
You're a pattern matcher.
And the moment an interviewer throws an unseen and unique problem at you, you freeze. Your brain panics. You have no clue what to do - because you never actually learned problem-solving. You just memorized patterns and prayed they’d show up again.
This is why so many smart engineers bomb interviews.
It’s not that they aren’t good at coding.
It’s that they’ve been training the wrong way.
This post will show you how to train like a real problem solver.
Not a Leetcode bot.
Not a brute-force grinder.
But an engineer who can think through any problem - even if they’ve never seen it before.
Let’s break it down.
Why People Grind 500+ Questions
Why do people grind hundreds of Leetcode problems?
Simple. They’re addicted to easy progress.
Every time you solve a new problem, you get a dopamine hit.
You feel like you’re improving.
You mark another problem as "solved" in your spreadsheet.
Your confidence grows - but only in familiar territory.
The second you see something slightly different (or same thing after long long time)?
Your mind short-circuits.
This happens because you never actually built problem-solving skills.
You just memorized enough patterns to brute-force your way through an interview.
And that works - until it doesn’t.
The Harsh Truth: You’re Giving Up Too Soon
Here’s the real reason most engineers never develop true problem-solving skills:
They check solutions too soon.
Most people:
Try for 10-15 minutes.
Get stuck.
Open the solution.
Feel like they "understand" it.
Move to the next problem.
Rinse and repeat. And they learn nothing.
Real problem solvers don’t look up solutions.
They sit with the frustration.
They obsess over the problem.
They refuse to give up.
Because true breakthroughs happen in that struggle.
Think about it - when was the last time you truly struggled with a problem for 3 days straight?
Not an hour. Not a few minutes. Days.
Most people never do this - so they never get better.
And then they wonder why they can’t solve unseen concept in an interview.
The Right Way to Train: Become a Natural Problem Solver
If you want to actually develop problem-solving skills, stop grinding.
Start training your brain the right way.
1️⃣ Pick Fewer, Harder Problems
Instead of solving 500 problems mindlessly, do this:
✅ Go to Codeforces or CodeChef.
✅ Pick 5-10 medium-hard problems from old contests.
✅ Solve them without looking at the solution.
If it takes 3 days to crack a single problem, so be it.
If you struggle, that’s the point.
Struggling forces you to think deeper.
Thinking deeper forces you to truly understand.
This is how real engineers train.
2️⃣ Never Look at the Solution (Until You Break)
This is where 99% of people fail.
The moment they get stuck, they peek at the answer.
And that destroys the learning process.
New Rule: No solutions. Ever.
Sit with the problem.
Break it apart.
Think about what you’re missing.
If you’re stuck, walk away and come back later.
Let your brain keep working on it in the background.
The more you struggle, the deeper your learning.
Eventually, you’ll crack the problem on your own - and that will stick with you forever.
3️⃣ Simulate Real Pressure
Most people fail interviews because they aren’t used to thinking under pressure.
Leetcode grinding won’t fix this. Contests will.
✅ Compete in Codeforces Div 2 or CodeChef Starters.
✅ Join short contests where you only have 1-2 hours to think.
✅ Learn to solve problems fast, under real stress.
When an interviewer throws a hard question at you, you’ll be calm, collected, and sharp.
Because you’ve trained for it.
My Story: How I Learned This the Hard Way
Back in college, I fell for the grind mindset.
I thought solving 200-300 problems would make me a master.
It didn’t.
But then, I started competing in CodeChef Long Contests - 10 days, 10 problems.
The first 4-5 problems? Easy.
But the next 3-4?
They broke me.
I spent days stuck.
I couldn’t Google the answer. (Back then there were no AI to help)
I had to break the problem down myself.
It was frustrating.
It was painful.
But when I finally solved them? I had leveled up, and the feeling was amazing.
This is why, even after 9 years in the industry, I never have to grind 100+ problems before an interview.
I just review 15-20 solid questions, and I’m ready.
Because my brain knows how to think.
The Future: Master This, and You’ll Never "Prepare" Again
If you train like this, you will never need to grind again.
You will walk into any interview fully confident.
Not because you solved 500+ questions.
But because you know how to solve any problem, even if you’ve never touched something like it before.
That’s real problem-solving.
And that’s what top engineers do.
The 4-Step Framework to Build Real Problem-Solving Skills
If you want to become a true problem solver, follow this:
Pick one hard problem per week. Deep-dive into all possible solutions.
Struggle with problems for days before looking at a solution.
Compete in short contests to simulate real pressure.
Develop meta-skills: breaking problems down, finding patterns, optimizing solutions.
💡 Do this for 3-6 months, and you will see the difference.
You’ll no longer be a Leetcode grinder.
You’ll be a natural problem solver.
And that’s the skill that gets you hired. 🚀
Final Thought (Read This Twice)
If you can train your mind to never give up, you’ll never need to grind again.
Now go.
Pick a problem.
And struggle until you win.
That’s how you get better. 💪
Great article, thanks a lot.
Very useful article, I always find tutorials and videos to explain lot of leetcode patterns. You are the first one to tell take harder one and spend days until you break. I think this is great suggestion, thanks a lot.