00:00:00So, is LeetCode still relevant in 2026? This is a question people have been asking for years now,
00:00:06and interestingly, the answer hasn't really changed. Yes, LeetCode is still relevant,
00:00:12but not in the same way it used to be a few years ago. The way you approach LeetCode today
00:00:17will not only decide whether you actually get a job in this job market, but also decide what kind of
00:00:22developer you eventually become. In this video, I want to break down what has actually changed,
00:00:27what hasn't, and most importantly, how you should be treating LeetCode in 2026.
00:00:32And trust me, it's way different from what you did in the past. The reason why LeetCode feels a bit
00:00:37useless is pretty obvious. The biggest shift has been the rise of AI tools, which can now
00:00:43write and optimize code in minutes. Because of this, the role of developers is slowly
00:00:48shifting from writing code from scratch to reviewing, understanding, and improving code
00:00:53that is often generated with the help of AI. When you look at it from that perspective,
00:00:58practicing syntax and solving problems manually can start to feel less important than it used to.
00:01:04Another reason is that the original motivation for doing LeetCode was to crack coding interviews,
00:01:09but even that landscape is changing. There are now AI tools that people try to use during interviews,
00:01:15which makes the traditional LeetCode-style questions easier to bypass in some cases.
00:01:20On top of that, many companies have started evolving their hiring processes.
00:01:24While DSA rounds have not disappeared completely, they are no longer the only deciding factor.
00:01:30Companies are increasingly including things that are much harder to fake, such as portfolio reviews,
00:01:36system design discussions, take-home assignments with real constraints, and behavioral interviews
00:01:41that test how you think and communicate. LeetCode is still part of the process,
00:01:46but it is no longer the entire game. But with that said, can we conclude that LeetCode
00:01:51is irrelevant in 2026? Well, not that fast. There is still one more thing you need to understand.
00:01:58LeetCode is not a collection of questions that you need to memorize just to pass an interview.
00:02:03It is a great way to build your core foundations as a developer. People have been arguing for years
00:02:08that LeetCode is nothing like real-world development, which is true, and that criticism
00:02:14is completely valid. You are not going to build full applications by solving algorithmic problems.
00:02:20However, the purpose of LeetCode was never to teach you how to build products.
00:02:24It is to build the underlying skills that you use while building real-world applications.
00:02:29When you are solving problems, you are improving your ability to think logically,
00:02:33break down complex tasks, and write structured code. You develop habits around debugging,
00:02:39and you start paying attention to performance and efficiency. These are not abstract skills.
00:02:45They are the skills that you will actually need when you are working on real projects.
00:02:49When you are building an application and writing logic inside functions, that is problem solving.
00:02:54When you are optimizing something to handle more users, that is performance thinking.
00:02:58When you are tracking down why something is not working, that is debugging. All of these
00:03:02skills are indirectly trained when you practice DSA properly, which is what most people don't
00:03:08understand. So the real question becomes, how should you be treating LeetCode now?
00:03:13Should you focus more on DSA or development? The answer is that you need both, but in 2026,
00:03:19your focus should lean more towards development. Once you cross a certain level of comfort with
00:03:24problem solving, every extra hour spent solving more and more questions gives you less value
00:03:30compared to the time you could spend building something real. If you are a beginner,
00:03:34something like LeetCode 75 is a very good starting point because it gives you a structured path
00:03:40without overwhelming you. At the same time, most of your efforts should go into building projects
00:03:45for your portfolio. When a hiring manager looks at your resume or your GitHub and sees something real,
00:03:51something slightly complex, it immediately increases your chances of getting shortlisted.
00:03:56Projects show that you can take an idea and turn it into something functional,
00:04:01which is ultimately what companies care about. So that is how you should be looking at LeetCode in
00:04:052026. It is still relevant, and it will likely remain relevant for the foreseeable future,
00:04:11but it is no longer the only thing that matters. By the way, if you are planning to build projects
00:04:16for your portfolio and want something unique, make sure to check out Code Crafters, where you
00:04:22can work on more realistic and challenging projects that are actually worth showcasing.
00:04:26And that's it for this video. If you found this helpful, make sure to show some love,
00:04:30and I will see you guys in the next one.