code-review - GrindLoop: Android & iOS Interview Prep

Tell Me About a Time You Mentored Someone: Answering Without a Formal Mentee

October 7, 2026 by Sara

Handwritten notes and sticky notes beside a laptop, prepping to answer tell me about a time you mentored someone

How to answer tell me about a time you mentored someone without a formal mentee title: show what they did without you. A full Android sample answer.

Why a Private Constructor Doesn’t Stop Kotlin Data Class copy()

October 3, 2026 by Arsam

Padlock on a blue metal door, illustrating how data class copy gets around a private constructor

A private constructor doesn’t stop the Kotlin data class copy() from creating invalid objects. The two causes, what Kotlin 2.5 changes and the fix.

How to Pass the Android Code Review Interview When the Bugs Are Planted

October 1, 2026 by Hass

Code with line numbers on a monitor, the kind of diff you read in an Android code review interview

The Android code review interview scores how you rank planted issues. A sample pull request, a ranked review with severity labels and a summary to adapt.

How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Received Critical Feedback” When It Was Only Partly Right

September 29, 2026 by Sara

Two engineers reviewing code together, one pointing at a line on the laptop screen, illustrating critical feedback in a code review

A complete sample answer to “tell me about a time you received critical feedback” when the feedback was only partly right, and why each part works.

The Null Check That Didn’t Save You

September 27, 2026September 11, 2026 by Arsam

Extreme close-up of code on a screen, illustrating a Compose null check crash

A Compose null check crash happens when a null check and a !! read mutable state twice. Why Kotlin refuses to smart-cast delegated state, the one-read fix and the interview answer.

What the Android Take-Home Assignment Actually Tests

September 26, 2026September 6, 2026 by Hass

Laptop, open notebook and coffee on a wooden desk, set up to work on an Android take-home assignment

An Android take-home assignment tests judgment more than code. What reviewers check beyond the brief, how to size the design, and a complete sample README.