I still remember sweating through my first Amazon system design interview — scribbling diagrams, fumbling tradeoffs, wondering if my answers were up to par. System design wasn’t just about coding; it was about thinking big, communicating clearly, and making pragmatic choices.
If you’re here, you’re probably gearing up for the same challenge. Good news: preparing smart beats preparing hard.
Over the years, I’ve curated and tested various resources, and today I want to share 7 resources that completely transformed my Amazon system design interview prep. Each one gave me actionable insights and frameworks I could bring to the whiteboard—and I’m confident they’ll help you too.
1. Educative’s “Grokking the System Design Interview”
This course is legendary. Why? It breaks down complex systems like URL shorteners, social networks, and rate limiters into digestible chunks.
- What I Loved: Step-by-step design approaches, highlighting scalability, availability, and consistency tradeoffs.
- Pro tip: Don’t just passively read—redesign the systems yourself after each lesson.
- You can check it out here: Educative - Grokking System Design
Key takeaway: Follow a consistent framework: clarify requirements → define APIs → plan components → discuss tradeoffs → draw diagrams.
2. ByteByteGo YouTube Channel
I stumbled upon ByteByteGo after hours of confused Googling. The host, Alex Xu, walks through real-world system design problems with clear visuals and a calm tone.
- His “System Design Explained” playlist helped me understand how distributed systems come together.
- He often links these videos to the latest tech trends and deep dives.
- Bonus: Free diagrams that I replicated in interviews.
Watch here: ByteByteGo System Design Playlist
Key takeaway: Combine visual learning with hands-on practice—try recreating these diagrams during your mock interviews.
3. DesignGurus.io - System Design Interview Course
If you want a live, interactive approach, DesignGurus offers mentorship with coding and design interview coaching.
- I joined a few sessions when prepping for a senior role, and the personalized feedback on my design diagrams was invaluable.
- They focus on Amazon-specific interview patterns and challenge-driven practice.
- Plus: real scenarios form the core of the sessions, not just theoretical concepts.
Explore: DesignGurus.io
Key takeaway: Structured feedback accelerates improvement—don't just self-study; find a mentor or study group.
4. “Designing Data-Intensive Applications” by Martin Kleppmann
Okay, this isn’t a quick prep resource. But during one Amazon interview, a question about data consistency threw me off. I realized I needed to deeply understand the fundamentals.
- This book explains distributed data, consensus algorithms, and fault tolerance beautifully.
- I extracted lesson-worthy insights on tradeoffs between consistency, availability, and partition tolerance (CAP theorem).
- Ideal as a long-term learning companion, not a last-minute cram.
Available on most platforms: Designing Data-Intensive Applications - Amazon
Key takeaway: Invest time in fundamentals to confidently discuss tradeoffs—Amazon loves engineers who know when to optimize for what.
5. LeetCode Discuss System Design Threads
LeetCode isn’t just about code. Their Discuss forum has a treasure trove of system design interviews shared by candidates who’ve faced Amazon and other FAANG interviews.
- Real experiences, questions, answers, and tips.
- Candidates often post feedback on what worked and what didn’t in their interviews.
- Handy to spot recurring Amazon design patterns.
Browse here: LeetCode Discuss - System Design
Key takeaway: Analyze patterns from real interviews to anticipate Amazon’s style and expectations.
6. AWS Architecture Blog & Whitepapers
Since Amazon heavily leverages AWS in their architecture, understanding core AWS services like S3, DynamoDB, and Kinesis can provide a leg up.
- The AWS Architecture Blog breaks down scalable, resilient architectures.
- Whitepapers cover best practices for reliability and security.
- I often referenced these in my interviews to connect design choices with cloud realities.
Find resources here: AWS Architecture Center
Key takeaway: Tie your system design decisions to real AWS services where appropriate—it shows practical knowledge and aligns with Amazon’s ecosystem.
7. Mock Interviews with Peers or Coaches
Finally, nothing beats simulated interviews.
- Whether it’s a peer in your network or a structured platform like Pramp or Interviewing.io, mock interviews sharpen communication and time management.
- During my prep, verbalizing design thoughts aloud helped uncover gaps.
- Plus, you learn to handle surprises—Amazon interviewers often drive you deeper into your design.
Here’s Pramp: Pramp Mock Interviews
Key takeaway: Practice thinking aloud and adapting on the fly—communication is as critical as your design skills.
Wrapping Up: Your System Design Interview Gameplan
System design interviews can feel like a black box. But here’s what I learned the hard way:
- Framework over fancy words: A clear, repeatable design framework beats buzzwords.
- Tradeoffs are your narrative: Always justify your design choices—scalability vs. latency, monolith vs. microservices, and so on.
- Practice diagrams: Don’t rely on mental pictures alone; draw, revise, and explain.
- Leverage real-world AWS context: Understanding the cloud environment gives your design extra credibility.
- Iterate with feedback: You won’t get it perfect alone. Use mentors, forums, and mocks.
If you take nothing else from this post, remember: Amazon’s system design interview tests your ability to think holistically and communicate effectively under pressure. The resources above can equip you with frameworks, examples, and confidence.
You’re closer than you think. Start with one resource, build your knowledge step-by-step, and soon enough, that whiteboard will feel like your playground.
Feel free to share your own favorite resources or questions below—I’m always excited to hear about different prep journeys!
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