The Rise and Fall of Roy Lee: What His Story Means for Tech Recruiting (And Why Whiteboard Interviews Aren’t the Real Problem)
Written by Massa Medi
All right, let’s dive into something a little off the beaten path. Normally, I steer clear of reading hot community takes, but today, we’re going to wade right in because the saga of Roy Lee offers a fascinating lens on the recruiting world, what’s broken in it, and some uncomfortable realities about the tech industry.
Who Is Roy Lee and Why All This Fuss?
If you’re not up to speed on Roy Lee, buckle up. He’s the guy behind “cheat on anything” yes, even leetcode interviews. Infamous for his AI tool that promised to help candidates nail those dreaded algorithm interviews, he earned a reputation for taking on the status quo. His operations had enough impact to get Columbia Engineering involved Lee was a student there before scandal and eventual suspension. If you’ve wandered the tech job forums or LinkedIn lately, you probably know who we’re talking about.
Here’s the short version for context: After his “cheat tool” went viral, sharp eyed techies discovered Roy’s AI secret sauce was essentially… open source code taken from other projects. He got called out. Columbia put him on ice. The media pounced. But before we clutch our pearls about his “downfall,” let’s pump the brakes a little skepticism may be in order.
A Downfall? Or Just Another Tech Disruptor?
Contrary to the doom and gloom headlines, I suspect Roy Lee probably made more from his products than most of us ever will from honest work. And let’s be real using open source software in your product is not "cheating"; it’s how most tech companies operate. So, his unpopularity didn’t materialize from thin air. His tool pressed a nerve for thousands of job seekers frustrated with “outdated” high pressure coding interviews especially those built around algorithm puzzles you’ll rarely use on the job.
Here’s an unpopular opinion: I actually don’t think coding interviews are so bad. Sure, they can be nerve wracking, but some kind of filter is needed. The alternatives like lengthy take home assignments are a privilege for those with ample free time, and those group projects? Not realistic unless you can perfectly simulate work environments. And please, don’t hand me a strange laptop and expect me to code; I’m not falling for that.
So, what's the right way to interview? For more senior candidates, I prefer a deep dive into their projects see how far they can take an idea, even if I don’t know the tech stack in question. For everyone else, you need a baseline: Can you write a for loop? Traverse a tree? That’s 80% of the job, honestly. If someone can do that, we’re halfway there.
Trust Issues: Gaming the System, Both Sides
The uproar around Roy Lee’s tool highlighted a growing trust gap between candidates and employers. Candidates feel set up to fail, so they use these tools to level the playing field. Is that really unfair?
Let’s talk about American tech interviews: You sit in a meeting room, someone expects you to whiteboard a binary tree or explain recursion. The kicker? These same problems are in every “Cracking the Coding Interview” book and a thousand interview prep websites. Study enough, and you’ll almost certainly see a repeat.
Despite all that, people are still anxious. Is it excessive stress, or just the uncomfortable truth that interviews even “fair” ones are awkward for most humans? For what it’s worth, I don’t mind being put on the spot, but I get why dynamic programming problems make candidates sweat. (DP: universally hated. If someone hands out DP problems to interviewees? That’s a bad interviewer, period.)
Why Bad Interviewers Are the Real Problem
The crisis in tech interviewing isn’t about the questions themselves, it's about the interviewers. Someone who throws a DP hard problem at you wasn’t going to give you a break no matter what they’re just bad at interviewing. If you don’t understand the point of an interview (hint: it’s not just to see if a question can be done under pressure), you’re going to filter out great talent for the wrong reasons.
Companies rely on rigid, outdated steps: whiteboard gauntlets, endless take homes, etc. But AI interview assistants like Roy Lee’s tool have proven these processes can be easily gamed. Leetcode itself gamifies the interview: rack up points, grind the same questions, win the job.
The only difference now is that AI can do a lot of the work for you. This might sound like the great leveler, but it’s actually deepening the trust issues on both sides. Some people thrive under pressure; others freeze. A rigid process can’t measure the full landscape of coding talent.
AI: Making Bad Interviews Worse?
Gen AI is moving fast. Kiro, founder of Locked in AI the Dual and purported inspiration for Roy Lee believes AI assisted interviews are just getting started. Soon, these tools will become invisible, seamless, and much more powerful.
Here’s my take: If you think whiteboard interviews are bad now, wait until you see what a fully AI augmented process brings. The candidates who are already quick on their feet will adapt faster and manipulate the new landscape more skillfully. Those who struggle under pressure? Things could get even tougher. The expectation bar only rises: Now you’re supposed to adapt on the fly, field questions you don’t understand, and use every tool at your disposal…in real time.
The harsh reality? This isn’t likely to make things better it might just make things weirder and worse for most folks.
Tec Recruiting: A Two Way Street
Many who rely on interview assistants are international students, career switchers, or people with non traditional backgrounds those with the most to prove. Meanwhile, companies use AI to scan resumes, auto reject applicants, and even ghost hopefuls without a word. Hypocritical? Absolutely. As Kiro wisely points out, this is a two way street.
Let’s pause and recognize: Companies using AI to auto reject candidates (knowing these tools are error prone and biased) are also gaming the process. It’s just as unhealthy as faking skills you don’t have.
That said, two wrongs don’t make a right. Cheating on an interview may win you a job, but it locks you into a cycle of defending bad decisions. Call me old fashioned, but honesty really is the best policy especially in a world where deception seems to be on the rise, not the decline.
Roy Lee’s Real Genius: Observation and Rage Bait
Here’s what most people miss: Roy Lee’s real skill was identifying a powerful, unspoken frustration shared by thousands of candidates. He channeled that rage, packaged it, and sold a tool that resonated. That’s impressive though whether the tool itself is “good” is another question.
The next test: Can he do it again, maybe without the drama? Or is he just an expert in rage bait, stirring controversy for clicks and sales? If it’s just shock value, the approach fades; but the underlying lesson remains: If you want to get your ideas out there and grab attention, you need to truly understand what your audience is feeling.
Roy baited the entire tech world especially Twitter harder than anyone else. Like it or not, that’s a noteworthy accomplishment. For anyone building products or creating content, understanding how he struck a nerve is a valuable lesson.
Interviewing, Cheating, and the Future: Lessons for Everyone
As our world gets more crowded with tools for deception, we’re all going to have to navigate a landscape where “gaming the system” is easier than ever. But, as fantasy author Brandon Sanderson wrote, people will cheat and lie that’s a constant, both in fantasy and in business.
Whiteboard interviews will never be perfect. They’re meant to check if you can memorize and apply something from your study arsenal, a bit like solving calculus problems you’ve hammered away at a dozen different ways. Boil it down, and we’re measuring memory and application, not just brilliance under pressure.
The tech hiring process isn’t about to get easier or more honest. If anything, as tools get more advanced, the potential for deception grows. The only thing you can control is your own integrity: Don’t lie, even if the system seems stacked against you.
And don’t forget the worst interviews might just be a sign that the interviewers need more help than the candidates. Here’s hoping you get one who understands what real talent looks like, even off the whiteboard.
Good luck out there, everyone. The storm’s not blowing over any time soon but at least we’re all in it together.
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