---
title: "FB0 - Google Foobar - A Godsend To Kill My Laziness"
description: "Google sent me an invitation to their secret coding challenge - here's how I got in and what the Foobar journey looked like."
pubDate: "2022-08-25"
lang: "en"
slug: "fb0-google-foobar-a-godsend-to-kill-my-laziness"
url: "https://hoangyell.com/fb0-google-foobar-a-godsend-to-kill-my-laziness/"
author: "HoangYell"
categories: ["Software Craft"]
tags: ["google-foobar", "algorithms", "python"]
heroImage: "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangGeek/store/main/webp/1ZV8fMc.webp"
---

## What is Google Foobar?
[Google Foobar Challenge](https://foobar.withgoogle.com/) is a coding challenge organized by Google for Python or Java developers.
When you visit website, you will see this.
![Image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangGeek/store/main/webp/Bscjj49.webp)
`Access is by invitation only.`
Yup, It's not available to all. I'm the lucky one received that invitation.

## How did I get Google Foobar Challenge?
Just an ordinary day, while researching on "Abstract Factory" to write "Design Pattern in Football Style" series,
I search a lot of keywords related to "Abstract Factory". This is my search history:

![Image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangGeek/store/main/webp/jYrO4Ci.webp)
![Image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangGeek/store/main/webp/r2jqzPr.webp)
- Among them, the keyword triggering an invitation from Google is probably:
`Dependency Injection` and `coupled`
![Image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangGeek/store/main/webp/IYW9A8l.webp)
  - While learning about Abstract Factory I searched for `Dependency Injection`. 
    - In `Dependency Injection` I searched for `coupled`.
      ![Image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangGeek/store/main/webp/zObOwW3.webp)
      - Then Boom 💣💥, Google Foobar animation overrides my search results.
        Something like this, (I didn't capture mine at that moment)
         ![Image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangGeek/store/main/webp/32482922-dddb6110-c3aa-11e7-8d54-54e5ae9c51ac.webp)
        - Then I clicked `I want to play` and started the journey...
        
          _I'm not sure if I accidentally click `Don't show me this again` or close the tab, Will I can still log in directly to https://foobar.withgoogle.com/.
           I think Google should allow that case too. There will be some people losing the opportunity by accidentally clicking like that._

## When does Google Foobar expire?
I don't know, maybe it won't be expired. The counter will countdown within 7 days for each challenge:
  - You can request a new challenge, work on it within 7 days, and submit your results.
  - Then take a month off...
  - Then come back to request a new challenge.

There are 9 challenges at all. It means you will have a total of `9 * 7 * 24 = 1512` hours of brainstorming, searching, and coding.

## What is the proper way to do the challenge?
While writing this, I just completed the 4th challenge (the 1st challenge of the level 3) and I feel that:
- The first level is easy, everyone can solve it.
- The second level is hard, but it's still understandable and with a bit of brainstorming and research, I believe you can get through it.

  _Well, that's what I think of you. In fact, I look up the formula, then I re-code it myself. Hehe_
- The third level is shit, I even don't understand the problem. Now I know, I'm not the guy Google looking for.

So you can see, I don't know how to do this challenge correctly.
Just for fun, don't expect too much. Looks like it hasn't been updated for a long time, any question, answer can easily be found by on Google Search.
So I don't think Google uses this method to hire talent anymore.

![Image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangGeek/store/main/webp/ZtP4Zct.webp)