Blind 75 vs. LeetCode patterns: Best for Snowflake interviews?

Capital One, Adobe, DoorDash, Instacart, and AT&T are all part of the Fortune 500, representing the US’s largest companies by revenue, and earning the trust of millions daily. They also have something else in common: they use Snowflake to power their data platforms.

Snowflake is a cloud-specific data platform that allows organizations to store, analyze, and share massive amounts of data across multiple clouds, such as AWS and Azure. This multi-cloud flexibility sets Snowflake apart and has fueled its rapid growth.

Inside Snowflake, engineers solve deep technical problems in databases, query optimization, and large-scale infrastructure. While System Design and database expertise play a central role, coding fundamentals are just as important in the interview process. That leads to the question every candidate asks: how should one prepare for a company like Snowflake?

In this blog, I will compare Blind 75 and Snowflake’s Top 75 coding questions against the 28 LeetCode patterns from the “Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns” course. I aim to help you create a preparation strategy that fits the unique demands of one of the fastest-growing and most technically challenging companies in the cloud data space.

Quick recap of Blind 75, Snowflake Top 75, and LeetCode patterns#

Blind 75 is one of the most popular starting points for coding interview prep. It is a fixed list of 75 handpicked problems that appear frequently across big tech interviews. Its main advantage is clarity: you know exactly what to practice, and avoid the decision fatigue of picking from thousands of problems.

Snowflake Top 75 is a set of questions that overlap with Blind 75 and reflect the company’s unique mix of interview focus areas.

LeetCode patterns is a framework of 28 problem-solving techniques, such as Sliding Windows, Dynamic Programming, and Backtracking. Instead of memorizing individual problems, you learn to identify the underlying pattern and apply it to any variation that you encounter.

Is Blind 75 enough to crack Snowflake’s interview?#

Hidden area 75 gives you a strong foundation in core topics like arrays, trees, graphs, and dynamic programming. It can help you build confidence with the fundamentals, essential for Snowflake interviews. However, you will need more than fundamentals to get hired at Snowflake.

Snowflake’s rapid growth and its work across some of the biggest companies in the world mean that it is not difficult for them to evolve their interview pool at any time. With AI everywhere, it is easier than ever to create new problems. These might be variations or extensions of existing ones, but you will only recognize them if you truly understand the question and its solution. Memorizing solutions to 75 problems might not be enough for such technical interviews.

How pattern-based prep suits Snowflake’s interview prep#

Grinding LeetCode problems will not be effective if you do not know what it takes to solve each one. Think of it this way: you practice 150 questions, but none involve a certain pattern. Then, the interviewer asks you a question that depends on that pattern. Will those 150 questions help you at that moment? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Learning the coding patterns behind the solutions shifts your mindset. Instead of thinking “what is the step-by-step solution here,” you start asking “which pattern does this problem fit into, and how do I apply it?” That mindset makes all the difference. Whether it is a sliding window question on data streams, a topological sort for dependency resolution, or a dynamic programming challenge on optimization, you will be ready to handle new variations confidently.

An overview of patterns for Snowflake coding interviews#

There are 28 coding patterns; looking at them simultaneously can feel overwhelming. The challenge is knowing where to start and how to prioritize. To make it easier, I have grouped the patterns into four categories based on their value across Snowflake interviews. 

• Must-knows: These are the essentials. Arrays, strings, trees, and graphs form the backbone of Snowflake interviews. If you are short on time, this is the category to prioritize.

• Very common, high-value: These patterns often appear in real interviews, usually with creative twists. 

• Solid but situational: These patterns do not appear in every interview, but they can be decisive when they do. Snowflake might use them to test how well you handle less familiar problem spaces.

• Finishing line helpers: These are niche patterns. You might not see them in every interview, but having them in your toolkit ensures you are ready for edge cases that expand your problem-solving depth.

Snowflake might emphasize some patterns more than others, but to be fully prepared for their coding interview, you must cover all 28. The good news is that I have a smart preparation strategy that will help you practice every pattern effectively and directly.

A smart way to tackle all 28 LeetCode patterns for Snowflake#

Preparing for Snowflake interviews should feel structured, rather than overwhelming. The right strategy balances Snowflake-specific practice with full pattern coverage. Here is the plan I recommend.

1. Start with the common ground: Begin with the problems that overlap between Blind 75 and Snowflake’s Top 75. These give you a strong foundation because they combine the general fundamentals with direct Snowflake relevance.

2. Work through Snowflake’s Top 75: Next, focus on the rest of Snowflake’s problem set. These questions reflect the company’s technical flavor. Solving them helps you get comfortable with the kinds of problems Snowflake values.

3. Return to Blind 75 for the missing pieces: Complete the Blind 75 problems that do not appear in Snowflake’s list. This step broadens your prep and ensures you do not miss important problem types that could still be asked.

4. Watch out for missing patterns: Finally, use the 28 coding patterns to close any gaps. This is what prepares you for the unexpected. Even if the interviewer introduces a new twist, recognizing the underlying pattern allows you to solve it confidently.

As you follow this plan, aim for depth in each pattern using the rubric I introduced earlier in this series: at least one easy, two medium, and one hard problem per pattern. That adds up to 420 points across all 28 patterns. 

What’s the impact of solving shared problems first?#

Solving the shared problems first gives you maximum return on your effort. These high-yield questions strengthen the core fundamentals while aligning directly with Snowflake’s interview style. By practicing them first, you build confidence, reduce overlap later in your prep, and ensure that your initial effort covers breadth and company relevance.

Look at Blind 75 and Snowflake’s Top 75 side by side to see how many problems overlap.

The list above shows that out of Snowflake’s Top 75 problems, 18 overlap with Blind 75. That is nearly a quarter of the set, and it makes for an excellent starting point. Beginning here means your early effort carries double the weight. You build breadth with Blind 75 and depth with Snowflake simultaneously.

Now, let’s see which patterns this shared set introduces and how well they are covered using the 1–2–1 rubric. In the bar chart below, each bar represents a pattern. The length of the bar shows what percent of the full 15 points you’ve earned for that pattern, while the label highlights how many easy, medium, and hard problems went into that score.

The bar chart above shows that out of the 28 total patterns, 13 are introduced here. This is almost 46% coverage just from the shared problems. It is a strong start because exposure to nearly half the patterns comes early in your prep.

The coverage, however, is uneven. A few patterns like Trie (93%) and Sliding Window (67%) are well represented, while most others fall below 60%. Patterns such as Greedy Techniques and Knowing What to Track are barely covered.

The good news is that coverage percentage matters less than exposure at this stage. Once you have seen the pattern even once, you can easily build it out later using the 1–2–1 rubric (one easy, two medium, one hard). What really matters here is that these shared problems introduce you to a broad set of patterns, setting the stage for deeper practice in the next steps.

Why the next best step is solving Snowflake-only questions#

Once you finish the shared problems, the logical next step is Snowflake’s own set of unique questions. These problems capture the company’s specific approach. Solving them gives you direct exposure to the kinds of scenarios Snowflake engineers deal with, making your prep more aligned and realistic.

Let’s see which new patterns get surface with Snowflake-specific questions.

The list above shows that with Snowflake-specific questions, 12 new patterns emerge. This takes your coverage from 13 patterns to 25 out of 28, which is almost 90% of all patterns. That is a massive jump, and shows just how valuable Snowflake’s own set is for broadening your preparation.

Now, let’s see how well these patterns are covered using the 1–2–1 rubric. The bar chart below highlights the newly covered patterns in green on the y-axis.

The bar chart above shows that the overall pattern coverage looks much stronger. Many of the previously introduced patterns now have more problems to practice, which pushes their coverage higher. For example, Greedy Techniques, Dynamic Programming, Topological Sort, Stacks, Graphs, and Custom Data Structures are all above 90%, making them very well covered.

Some new patterns added here, such as Hash Maps, Modified Binary Search, and Tree traversals, show partial to moderate coverage. While a few remain underrepresented, the important point is that you now have direct exposure to them. Once a pattern is introduced, filling it out with the 1–2–1 rubric becomes straightforward.

Is it worth solving the rest of Blind 75?#

Yes, because the remaining Blind 75 questions add variety that Snowflake’s list alone does not cover. They give you exposure to problem types that could still appear in an interview, even if they are not common in Snowflake’s top 75. More importantly, they round out your practice so that when you move to the patterns, you already have a wider base of examples to connect back to.

Let’s see which patterns the remaining Blind 75 questions introduce.

The list above shows that with the remaining Blind 75 questions, 2 new patterns emerge. This takes your coverage to 27 out of 28 patterns, which is about 96%. That is a big milestone. You are now very close to full coverage, almost at 100%.

Now, let’s see how well these patterns are covered using the 1–2–1 rubric.

The list above shows that the pattern coverage is very strong at this stage. Most of the major patterns, such as Two Pointers, Sliding Window, Linked List Manipulation, Dynamic Programming, Stacks, Graphs, and Topological Sort, are above 90%, with many at full 100% coverage. A few others like Merge Intervals, Tree BFS, Knowing What to Track, and Bitwise Manipulation sit in the partial range around 60%.

Only a handful of patterns remain underrepresented, such as Modified Binary Search, Union Find, Matrices, Fast and Slow Pointers, and Cyclic Sort. The key point is that nearly all patterns have now been introduced. With the 1–2–1 rubric, filling in the weaker ones is straightforward, and you are now close to complete readiness.

Is your prep for Snowflake complete?#

Let’s look at a snapshot of your progress. The chart below shows how the 28 patterns stack up after following this Snowflake-focused plan, and which ones might still require more practice.

The bar chart above shows that overall results are impressive. Most of the major patterns are well covered, with many at or near 100%, and several others in the partial range. To complete the picture, you will need to add more problems for underrepresented areas like Top K Elements, Sort and Search, and Cyclic Sort. The good news is that with the 1–2–1 rubric, you know exactly how many problems per pattern will take you to full coverage.

What stands out most is that one pattern, Subsets, is still completely missing. That is the final gap to address before you can claim 100% grasp over all 28 patterns. A few good ones to practice are:

Patterns recap#

Now that we’ve gone through each stage, let’s step back and look at the overall pattern coverage. Common problems between Blind 75 and Snowflake’s Top 75 account for 46%, which gave you a strong foundation right at the start. Snowflake-only questions add another 43%, nearly doubling the coverage and bringing you close to complete readiness. The remaining Blind 75 questions contribute 7%, filling important gaps. Meanwhile, the last 3.6% are patterns still uncovered and can be easily completed using the 1–2–1 rubric.

The takeaway is clear: every stage of the plan builds on the previous one, and together they take you to almost full command of all 28 patterns.

Have you scored 420 yet?#

The chart below shows how far you’ve progressed toward the ideal 420-point goal. So far, you’ve scored 274 points, which is about 65% of the target.

Each stage has contributed meaningfully:

• Common problems gave you 71 points, a solid start that covered both fundamentals and Snowflake relevance.

• Snowflake-only questions added the biggest boost with 156 points, showing their strong impact.

• The remaining Blind 75 problems added another 47 points, expanding your coverage.

That leaves 146 points still open, which is exactly where the 1–2–1 rubric comes in. By deliberately adding one easy, two medium, and one hard problem for the underrepresented patterns, you can close the gap and move from 65% to full coverage at 420.

The takeaway for Snowflake coding interview prep#

What is more valuable than grinding endless LeetCode problems is learning the underlying patterns. There are 28 in total, and with the right strategy you can cover all of them without feeling overwhelmed.

Start with the shared problems, move to Snowflake’s own set, widen your scope with the rest of Blind 75, and then close the gaps with all 28 patterns. Along the way, use the 420-point rubric to measure your depth.

If you follow this plan, you will not only build confidence in the fundamentals but also the adaptability to handle new and unexpected problems. This is something Snowflake looks for in strong candidates.

Wishing you clarity, confidence, and success in your Snowflake interviews.

Recommended resources to level up your interview prep#

While this blog offers a data-driven way to measure and close your prep gaps, the right learning tools can further accelerate your progress. Here are two highly effective resources to complement your study plan.

• Educative’s personalized interview prep: It’s your tailored prep companion that adapts to your skill level, and focuses on the 28 essential LeetCode patterns we’ve been discussing. You can work on the patterns that need the most attention, track progress with clear metrics, and know exactly what to tackle next. Whether it’s adding an easy problem to build confidence or a hard one to push for acquiring proficiency, you’ll always be working on the right problems at the right time.

• Educative’s mock interviews: Practicing is not just about solving problems. It is also about handling real interview pressure. Educative’s AI mock interviews let you simulate actual interview conditions, get actionable feedback, and improve in areas like problem-solving speed. This way, you are not only technically prepared, but also confident and ready to perform under time constraints.