Atlassian Software Engineer Interview Questions

I would gather as much context as possible from logs, metrics, and recent changes before trying random fixes. Then I would narrow down the conditions that trigger the issue and add temporary instrumentation if needed. The best debugging starts with evidence and ends with a repeatable fix.

I would model the core entities clearly, keep relationships simple where possible, and choose indexes that support the most common access patterns. Then I would think about how the schema will evolve as the product grows. Good schema design makes the system easier to query and easier to change.

I would treat technical debt as a cost that has to be managed intentionally, not ignored until it causes a failure. Then I would prioritize the debt that blocks delivery, creates risk, or makes the codebase harder to understand. The key is to pay it down in a way that supports future speed.

An array gives fast indexed access and usually better cache performance, while a linked list is better when insertions and deletions in the middle are more important. I would choose based on the access pattern, not because one structure is universally better. That answer shows you understand the trade-offs instead of memorizing definitions.

I would start with the most important query patterns and make sure the results are relevant and fast enough for users. Then I would add indexing, ranking, and caching so the search stays responsive as data grows. A good search design focuses on usefulness, not just raw retrieval.