Design an Auth System
Design an Auth System — A Staff playbook focused on token lifecycle ownership, permission model evolution, session management at scale, and auth as organizational boundary — not just OAuth flows.
This playbook is part of the full calibration library.
Staff interviews are decided on nuance — tradeoff framing, ownership boundaries, and failure anticipation. This playbook covers the depth that separates Senior from Staff+.
What's inside this playbook
Core sections
- •1. The Staff Lens
- •2. Problem Framing & Intent
- •3. Fault Lines
- •4. Failure Modes & Degradation
- •5. Evaluation Rubric
- •6. Interview Flow & Pivots
- •7. Active Drills
- •8. Deep Dive Scenarios
- •9. Level Expectations Summary
- •10. Staff Insiders: Controversial Opinions
Practice & Reference
- •How to Use This Playbook
- •What This Interview Actually Tests
- •The L5 vs L6 Contrast (Memorize This)
- •Default Staff Positions (Unless Proven Otherwise)
- •The Three Intents (Pick One and Commit)
- •System Architecture Overview
- •Interview Walkthrough
- •Why Auth Separates L5 from L6
- •The Three Core Intents