Comment by innocentoldguy

It's horse shit questions like that in tech interviews that caused me to start my own company and leave corporate America. A whiteboard is just a glorified chalkboard, and I got sick of being asked to prove I understood how to use and manipulate one of the most complex systems ever invented by man by basically rubbing a soft rock against a hard rock. I figured if a company couldn't do a better job of interviewing me than to ask ridiculous puzzle/whiteboard questions that have nothing to do with their business, then I probably didn't want to work there anyway.

Throughout my career, I have valued companies who can ascertain my skills by looking at where I've worked, code I've worked on, and the conversation we've had. Those companies seem equally adroit at determining the market and making good business decisions. Nearly every place I've worked who employs puzzle questions has either failed to maintain their market position or gone out of business. Sure, there are exceptions, but not many.

In my opinion, puzzle questions show a lack of knowledge and insight, and before starting my own company, I made it a habit to walk out of any interview that employed them.