[altvali]

You're saying it doesn't make sense to solve problems in interviews, but you're not saying why.

It makes a lot of sense to solve problems in interviews, the interviewer gets to see your thought process and it prevents cheating by getting someone else to solve the problem. Furthermore, unlike talking about past projects, the interviewer can compare the answers of different candidates on the same problem.

[codingclaws]

I think solving problems in an interview and not in an interview are two very different things. In other words, it seems to me there's a difference between solving a problem however I want vs. solving one on a phone or video call while someone is twiddling their thumbs. If anything, there's no room for subconscious thinking which I heavily rely on.

Also, sometimes I feel like a "monkey in a circus". Sometimes I want to say, "I'll solve your problem if you solve mine". Is power imbalance the right phrase?