Grind 75 vs. LeetCode patterns: Top choice for Netflix interviews

Out of thousands of shows and movies, it knows exactly what to suggest to you. That is what good interview prep should feel like too. Not endless grinding through hundreds of LeetCode problems, but smartly focusing on the right ones.

Grind 75 offers a curated set that many experts recommend and countless candidates use. LeetCode patterns, on the other hand, act like the recommendation engine behind-the-scenes. They help you recognize the strategies that power every coding interview problem.

So, which approach actually prepares you for Netflix coding interviews?

That is what we will explore in this blog. I will compare Grind 75 and Netflix’s top 37 against the 28 LeetCode patterns from Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns. We will see how much ground each method really covers, identify the gaps, and explore how a Netflix-focused roadmap can guide you to the right problems while saving time.

Sneak peek: How we evaluated Netflix interview prep strategies

When it comes to coding interview preparation, opinions are everywhere. Some engineers recommend solving hundreds of LeetCode problems. Others focus only on company-specific lists. Without any standard, you are left with conflicting advice and no way to measure which approach really works. To cut through the noise, I designed a rubric and scoring method, introduced in the first blog Grind 75 vs. LeetCode Patterns: Most Effective for Interviews? of this series, to evaluate coding interview prep strategies objectively.

The rubric is straightforward. For any coding pattern to be considered covered, the set must include at least 1 easy problem for 1 point, 2 medium problems worth 4 points each (8 points total), and 1 hard problem worth 6 points. That adds up to 15 points per pattern. With 28 patterns in total, the benchmark becomes 420 points.

This 1–2–1 structure ensures that you are not just seeing a pattern once, but practicing it at multiple levels of difficulty. That depth matters, especially in Netflix interviews where familiar problem types often come with unexpected twists.

With this benchmark in place, let’s now examine the effectiveness of Grind 75 and Netflix’s top 37.

The score comparison below clearly illustrates the difference. Neither Grind 75 nor Netflix’s top 37 comes close to the 420-point benchmark. Yet, the Netflix-focused roadmap already performs better than both. The natural question is, what is this roadmap, and why does it work more effectively than either list on its own? This is what we’ll explore in this blog.

Grind 75, Netflix top 37, and LeetCode patterns: Quick overview#

Grind 75 is a curated set of 75 LeetCode problems (built on the well-known Blind 75 list) that span the core topics most frequently asked in coding interviews of big tech companies like FAANG. It includes problems on Arrays, Strings, Linked Lists, Trees, Graphs, and other fundamental data structures and algorithms.

Netflix top 37 is a company-specific list of 37 coding problems frequently asked in Netflix coding interviews, as per LeetCode. This list is smaller but highly targeted, reflecting the kinds of questions Netflix actually asks.

LeetCode patterns are not a problem list, but a structured set of 28 core problem-solving strategies. Examples include Sliding Window, Two Pointers, and Backtracking. Each pattern captures the underlying logic behind many different questions. By mastering these patterns, you build reusable frameworks that allow you to recognize and solve new variations quickly and confidently.

Is Grind 75 enough for Netflix coding interviews?#

Grind 75 was created a few years ago to give candidates a manageable path through the overwhelming number of LeetCode problems. At the time, it was a breakthrough resource because it distilled thousands of questions into a carefully chosen set of 75 that reflected the most common themes across FAANG and other big tech interviews.

But the landscape has changed, especially with the rise of AI. Technical interviews continue to evolve as companies adjust their hiring practices, introduce new problem variations, and shift focus to different areas of problem-solving. A list designed for the broader FAANG audience inevitably divides its attention. This makes both Grind 75’s relevance to Netflix and its updated state a serious question for anyone preparing for coding interviews in 2025.

To demonstrate this, consider Netflix’s 10 most frequently asked coding problems. Eight of them do not even appear in Grind 75 (highlighted in green in the table below). As interviews continue to evolve, this gap will likely grow.

Bottom line: Grind 75 is useful for covering interview fundamentals, but on its own, it is not enough to succeed in Netflix coding interviews.

How do LeetCode patterns help with Netflix interview prep?#

If Grind 75 leaves gaps, the next question is how to fill them. This is where LeetCode patterns provide the missing depth. Instead of focusing on whether a specific problem appears in your prep list, patterns train you to recognize the strategies that make those problems solvable.

Look at Netflix’s ten most frequently asked problems: Merge Intervals, Logger Rate Limiter, Meeting Rooms II, Reconstruct Itinerary, Random Pick with Weight, and others. At first glance, they seem like unrelated challenges. In reality, each one maps back to a well-known pattern. Merge Intervals and Meeting Rooms II both rely on the Merge Intervals pattern. Logger Rate Limiter and Time Based Key-Value Store are Hash Map variations. Random Pick with Weight depends on Knowing What to Track, while Top K Frequent Elements falls under Heaps. Once you understand these patterns, you can handle new twists of the same problems with confidence.

This is the real advantage of patterns for Netflix interviews. The company is known for adding unexpected angles to otherwise familiar problems. A fixed list like Grind 75 cannot keep up with these variations. Patterns, however, give you a reusable framework that applies no matter how the problem is framed. In a 35 to 40 minute coding round, that adaptability often separates a candidate who struggles from one who delivers a clean solution.

The 28 LeetCode patterns in the context of Netflix coding interviews#

A total of 28 coding patterns frequently show up in technical interviews, including those at Netflix. To structure your preparation, these patterns can be grouped into four categories. This grouping is not just for clarity, it also helps you decide where to begin your Netflix coding interview prep.

• Must-know patterns: These appear most often in Netflix interviews. Practicing them thoroughly is crucial as many of Netflix’s common questions are built around them.

• Very common patterns: These occur regularly enough that covering them is important. Focusing on this category ensures that you are prepared to handle common variations with confidence.

• Solid but situational patterns: These show up less frequently, but when they do, spotting them quickly can be the difference between a strong solution and a missed opportunity.

• Finishing-line helpers: These are less common overall, but they can still appear. Covering them helps you avoid surprises and ensures complete preparation.

While Netflix emphasizes certain categories more heavily, a complete roadmap requires attention to all 28 patterns.

Netflix coding interview roadmap#

Getting ready for Netflix interviews does not mean picking one list and ignoring the rest. The smarter path is to blend Grind 75 with Netflix’s top 37, then strengthen the remaining gaps through LeetCode patterns. This way, you prepare with questions that are both widely recognized and Netflix-specific, while also ensuring that every underlying pattern is fully practiced.

Here’s how to structure your prep:

• Step 1: Begin with the overlap between Grind 75 and Netflix top 37
  The problems that both lists share are a natural starting point. They are proven questions that cover patterns Netflix often asks about. Working on these first saves time and gives you early momentum without second-guessing where to begin.

• Step 2: Move to the Netflix-only problems
  Once the overlap is complete, shift your focus to the questions that only appear in Netflix’s top 37. These highlight Netflix’s unique interview style. Practicing these prepares you for the twists that make Netflix interviews distinctive.

• Step 3: Complete the rest of Grind 75
  After completing the Netflix-only set, go back to the remaining Grind 75 problems. This stage broadens your coverage across essential data structures and algorithms. Even if certain problems are less likely at Netflix, the exposure strengthens your adaptability and problem-solving range.

• Step 4: Audit against the 28 patterns
  Finally, check your preparation against the 28 LeetCode patterns. Any pattern that is not fully covered becomes your priority for targeted practice.

Following this Netflix-focused roadmap gives you the best of both worlds. You learn from curated lists while building the deeper pattern recognition skills that allow you to adapt to new questions confidently. By applying the 1–2–1 rubric as you progress, you make sure that each pattern is fully covered and your preparation stays aligned with the 420-point benchmark.

Why start with Grind 75-Netflix overlap#

Starting with the Grind 75–Netflix overlap gives you the highest return on effort. These problems are both widely practiced across the industry and directly relevant to Netflix’s interview style. By beginning here, you build confidence with familiar fundamentals while immediately targeting patterns Netflix values most. It also removes the guesswork of where to begin, letting you focus on quality practice from day one.

Let’s see which problems are common to both Grind 75 and Netflix’s top 37.

The comparison above shows that 13 problems overlap between Grind 75 and Netflix’s top 37 questions. This is a good starting point for your Netflix coding interview prep. Next, let’s see which patterns are covered in this set and how well they measure up against 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.

Note: For this calculation, I have only considered the counts that satisfy our 1–2–1 rubric. If a pattern has more questions than required by the rubric, I count only 1 easy, 2 medium, and 1 hard problem. For example, if Dynamic Programming has 10 medium questions, I have included just 2 in this calculation.

The overlap stage gives you exposure to 10 different coding patterns out of 28 (about 36%). None of them are fully covered yet, but a few, like Dynamic Programming and Custom Data Structures, are in better positions. The rest remain underrepresented, often with only one or two problems covered so far.

The advantage here is not in completing patterns but in surfacing them early. Once you recognize a pattern, you can build on it in later stages to reach full coverage using the 1–2–1 rubric.

Why move to Netflix-only questions next#

The Netflix-only set brings in problems that reflect the company’s distinct interview style. Practicing them sharpens your ability to apply familiar patterns in Netflix-specific contexts, which reduces surprises during the interview.

Let’s see which LeetCode patterns are covered by the Netflix-only coding problems.

The list above shows that the Netflix-only problems introduce 10 new patterns, taking the total to 20 out of 28. That is about 70%, a significant jump that moves this Netflix-focused roadmap in the right direction.

Now, let’s see how well the patterns in this step are covered as per 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 Netflix-only problems strengthen several of the patterns identified earlier. Sliding Window, Graphs, Stacks, and Custom Data Structures now reach the partial coverage zone. Most of the patterns are still underrepresented, but their presence ensures that you now have exposure across a much wider spectrum. Overall, the roadmap has progressed from just surfacing patterns to covering a meaningful share of them at the partial level.

Why complete the remaining Grind 75 problems#

Completing the remaining Grind 75 problems broadens your preparation beyond the Netflix-focused sets. This stage strengthens your command of core data structures and algorithms that may not appear directly in Netflix’s top 37 but are still fundamental to coding interviews. It also deepens coverage for patterns that were only lightly represented earlier, moving them closer to the 1–2–1 benchmark. By finishing Grind 75, you ensure there are no gaps in your fundamentals while keeping your prep aligned with Netflix’s expectations.

Let’s see which patterns the Grind 75-only coding problems cover.

The list above shows that the Grind 75-only coding problems surface 7 new patterns, taking the total to 27 out of 28. That is about 96%, which brings this roadmap very close to full completion.

Now, let’s see how well the patterns in this set are covered as per the 1–2–1 rubric.

The bar chart above shows that adding the Grind 75-only problems pushes the roadmap much closer to full coverage. Several key patterns now move into the well-covered zone, including Two Pointers, Dynamic Programming, Stacks, and both Tree Traversal patterns (DFS and BFS). Graphs also rise to near-complete coverage.

At the same time, a number of patterns reach partial coverage, such as Sliding Window, Modified Binary Search, and Custom Data Structures. However, some remain underrepresented, including Heaps, Union Find, and Backtracking, along with Hash Maps and Fast and Slow Pointers, which have minimal coverage so far.

Is your Netflix coding interview prep complete now?#

Each stage of the roadmap added new patterns and strengthened old ones. But the key question remains: is the preparation now complete? The chart below gives a consolidated view of how well the 28 patterns are covered so far.

Out of 28 patterns, 6 are now in the green zone (well covered): Two Pointers, Dynamic Programming, Stacks, Tree Depth-First Search, and Tree Breadth-First Search. These are the strongest part of your preparation and fully meet the 1–2–1 rubric.

4 patterns are in yellow (partial coverage): Sliding Window, Modified Binary Search, and Knowing What to Track. Each of these is close to completion and typically requires one more hard problem to reach the green zone.

The remaining 20 patterns are in red (underrepresented): most have only one or two problems solved against the rubric. For example, patterns like Merge Intervals, Subsets, or Top K Elements need two or three more problems across medium and hard levels to complete coverage. A few, such as Hash Maps, Fast and Slow Pointers, and Math and Geometry, only have a single easy problem solved and will need the full set of three additional problems to meet the rubric.

The most important highlight is that Bitwise Manipulation has not been covered at all and will require all four rubric problems to reach completion. Here are some recommended coding problems to practice for Bitwise Manipulation.

Patterns recap for Netflix coding interview prep#

Each stage of the roadmap added new patterns and strengthened old ones. But how much did each stage actually contribute? The chart below gives a clear breakdown of pattern coverage across the Netflix-focused roadmap.

The roadmap shows balanced contributions across stages. The overlap and the Netflix-only sets each account for about 36% of the total patterns covered, establishing both breadth and Netflix-specific depth early on. The Grind 75-only problems add another 25%, pushing overall coverage close to completion. The remaining patterns make up just a small fraction, highlighting how much ground is already covered by following this sequence.

Score summary for Netflix coding interview prep#

Each stage of the roadmap adds not just patterns but also measurable progress toward the 420-point goal. The chart below highlights how the overlap, Netflix-only, and Grind 75-only sets contribute to the total score.

The Netflix-focused roadmap reaches a total of 223 points against the 420-point benchmark. The Grind 75-only stage contributes the most with 106 points, followed by the Netflix-only questions with 78 points, and the overlap set with 39 points. Together, these stages more than double the initial score and highlight how each layer of the roadmap strengthens overall preparation. What remains now is targeted practice to close the gap of 197 points and reach complete coverage. It will be easier with 1–2–1 rubric in hand.

Final take: Grind 75 or LeetCode patterns for Netflix coding interviews?#

The most important takeaway is this: do not just grind through LeetCode problems, and focus on understanding the LeetCode patterns. Building this skill gives you the adaptability Netflix looks for in its interviews. Patterns provide the blueprints, but choosing the right problems to practice is what determines how effective your prep will be.

That is where the 1–2–1 rubric makes the difference. By checking every pattern against one easy, two medium, and one hard problem, it becomes clear which areas are complete and which still need attention. Instead of spreading effort across hundreds of random questions, the rubric keeps you focused only on what matters.

The best way to prepare for Netflix is to combine Grind 75, Netflix’s top 37, and LeetCode patterns. Start with the overlap to strengthen your fundamentals while targeting what Netflix prefers. Then move to Netflix-only questions to sharpen your prep for company-specific variations. Finally, finish the rest of Grind 75 to expand your coverage and use the rubric to ensure all 28 patterns are fully practiced.

This approach keeps your preparation structured and efficient, while giving you the confidence to walk into Netflix interviews knowing you have practiced the right problems at the right depth.

Recommended resources to level up your coding interview prep#

While this blog offers you a data-driven way to measure and close your prep gaps, the right learning tools can accelerate your progress even further. 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 mastery, 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.