This Week in Startups

Student Roy Lee Hacks Amazon, SBF's Jailhouse Chat + more! | E2095

Mar 11, 2025

Roy Lee, a Columbia University student and founder of InterviewCoder, shares his unique journey using tech to navigate the interview landscape. He dishes on the backlash from Amazon after his viral revelations. The conversation dives into the chaotic cryptocurrency market and MicroStrategy's bold Bitcoin investments. They also explore trends in electric vehicles, the rise of electric unicycles, and the future of interviewing tech. Ethics and startup challenges are discussed, providing a candid look at navigating today’s innovative landscape.

01:00:41

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Episode guests

Roy Lee

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The development of Interview Coder by a student highlights ethical dilemmas and pressures associated with technical interviews in tech recruitment.

The discussion raised concerns over the integrity of job application processes and the implications of unconventional strategies among candidates.

The integration of AI in coding practices could revolutionize developer evaluation while raising urgent questions about educational and professional standards.

Deep dives

Hacking the Interview Process

A student developed a tool called Interview Coder to cheat on technical coding interviews, notably for companies like Amazon. This tool allows users to input code challenges and receive answers through a simple interface while providing an overlay to keep the developer's screen appearing legitimate during interviews. While other major companies like Capital One and Meta were part of the practice, Amazon represented the ultimate goal due to its recognition in the tech industry. The student shared their journey on YouTube, demonstrating the process and inadvertently attracting the attention of Amazon executives.

Intro

2min

Navigating Cryptocurrency Chaos: Market Volatility and MicroStrategy's Bold Moves

6min

Exploring Automotive Trends and Innovative Planning Tools

6min

Emerging Trends in Affordable Electric Vehicles and Innovative Transportation

6min

The Rise of Electric Unicycles and Hacking the Tech Interview

4min

Rethinking Tech Interviews and Career Paths

7min

The Commitment of Founders and the Power of LinkedIn for Hiring

2min

Cheating, Ethics, and AI in Tech

5min

Navigating Startup Funding and Market Challenges

2min

10.

Navigating Startup Growth and AI Innovation

21min

Timestamps:

(0:00) Roy Lee's hack and Amazon's reaction

(3:03) MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy(4:29) Market reactions to Trump's policies(6:33) Creating value in current market conditions(8:00) South by Southwest highlights

(10:19) Coda. Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist

(12:03) The $20,000 electric car concept(16:18) Electric unicycles as a startup category

(19:12) Vanta. TWiST listeners automate your SOC2 and get $1,000 off at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(20:31) Electric unicycles trend discussion(21:31) Guest introduction: Roy Lee(23:32) Roy Lee's background and startup idea(25:41) Technical coding tests and InterviewCoder

(30:14) LinkedIn Jobs. Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

(32:01) Amazon's reaction to InterviewCoder and Columbia's actions(37:03) Roy Lee's future and startup funding discussion(41:19) Hiring, revenue, and fundraising strategies(44:37) Venture capital dynamics and maintaining company control(47:52) Capturing audience before investment and SBF's legal issues(57:57) ServiceNow acquires Moveworks(1:00:00) Impact of Tiger's peak valuations on LPs and IRR calculations*

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LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis