Why the Backward DSA Method Works Better

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Why the Backward DSA Method Works Better

Nowadays, most people have the goal of cracking FAANG companies. But due to a lack of the right skills or preparation, many struggle to crack these companies.Many people think coding is too hard, DSA is too hard. They think, “I’m unable to solve problems, I think I’m unfit for a software developer role,” or “I don’t think I’ll be able to crack a job in an MNC.” They get demotivated if they can’t solve a problem. But the real issue is a lack of proper guidance.

Some people ask their mentors or seniors how to start coding. Seniors usually say, “Do problems on LeetCode so that you can crack the job.” Yes, that’s absolutely right. But for new beginners, doing problems on LeetCode can feel demotivating at first.But if you read the problem, learn the patterns, you can solve the problems.Yes, you should solve easy problems first and then gradually go to hard ones. If you start with hard problems first, you will definitely get demotivated.

Also, avoid contests in the beginning — they can feel demotivating if you’re not ready
Introduce the “Backwards Learning” Strategy

But what if I told you there’s a different way to learn DSA?

A method where you don’t need to follow the traditional path of
easy ➝ medium ➝ hard problems.

What if you flipped the entire learning process?

Now let’s introduce the concept of starting with LeetCode Hard problems — not to solve them, but to learn from them.

Why Start With LeetCode Hard?

  • You’ll be able to discover advanced patterns and logic.
  • You can figure out where your skills are lacking.
  • It helps you overcome the fear of facing hard problems later.

How It Works?

  • First, start with easy problems.
  • Then move to medium ones.
  • After gaining some confidence in easy and medium problems, try hard problems.
  • If you can’t solve them, don’t panic — just try to understand.
  • Watch tutorials on that concept.
  • Take notes on what you learn.
  • Go study just that concept, and then come back and try solving the problem again.

The Real Goal

  • You’re not trying to solve it at first — you’re trying to learn from it.
  • Every failure becomes a study roadmap.
  • Over time, this builds confidence and stronger problem-solving ability.

Common Struggles You Might Face

  • Many people struggle to get the perfect solution. Sometimes, what happens is they don’t check the constraints for a problem.
  • If the constraints are very low, your solution might get accepted — but when the constraints are large, you might get TLE (Time Limit Exceeded).
  • But don’t worry — be proud that you could solve it logically! If you’re getting TLE, don’t get discouraged. Think more. Try to figure out which pattern fits that problem and optimize from there.

Even with the backwards learning strategy, it’s completely normal to struggle. You might:

  • Feel like you’re not improving
  • Not understand the editorial or solution
  • Spend hours on one problem with no progress
  • Compare yourself to others who seem faster
  • But don’t worry — this is all part of the learning process.

🔹 Here’s how to deal with it:

  • Take breaks whenever you’re stuck. Forcing it won’t help — in fact, sometimes after a break, you might unexpectedly figure it out.
  • Don’t check the solution immediately. In coding, everyone thinks differently. Instead, read the discussions on LeetCode — they often show multiple ways of solving.
  • If you don’t understand a topic, watch a YouTube video or short tutorial just on that concept.
  • The most important thing: don’t compare yourself with others. Some may solve fast, some slow — it depends on the person. This is your learning phase.
  • And finally, don’t count how many problems you’ve solved. Instead, focus on what concept you learned today.

Benefits of Learning DSA Backwards

Many people think starting with hard problems is a bad idea, but once you get used to it, you’ll start seeing the benefits:

🔹 You’ll stop fearing hard problems because you’ve already been exposed to the toughest ones.
🔹 You learn faster since you’re constantly looking up new concepts and filling gaps.
🔹 You think more deeply — solving hard problems forces you to understand why things work.
🔹 You waste less time on memorizing and spend more time on actual logic and problem-solving.
🔹 You improve your debugging skills because when you’re stuck, you naturally try different approaches.

You might not solve the problem right away, but your brain is learning. Over time, when you come back to medium or easy problems, they feel very simple because you’ve already dealt with the harder ones.And one main piece of advice for you: if you learn something new, try to explain it to a friend — explain what concept you learned and how you solved the problem.This will also help during interviews. For example, if the interviewer asks, “How did you approach this problem?”, you’ll be able to explain it clearly.

Also, if you wrote the brute-force solution and it worked — don’t stop there. There might be another approach that’s better in terms of time and space complexity.I’ve seen many interviews where the candidate solves a problem using brute force — and then the interviewer definitely asks for an optimized solution.
So always be prepared for both brute force and optimized approaches.

Who Should Try the Backward Learning Approach?

This approach is not for everyone — and that’s completely okay. But if you’re someone who:

  • Feels stuck doing only easy or medium problems
  • Gets bored following the traditional DSA path
  • Wants to build strong problem-solving skills fast
  • Doesn’t mind failing a few times in the beginning

Is preparing for top tech company interviews (like FAANG or product-based companies)

Then this method can really help you.

It gives you real exposure to how interviews actually feel. In interviews, you don’t get a “warm-up” with easy problems. You often get thrown straight into a medium or hard one — and this approach gets your brain used to that.

Also, if you’re someone who learns better by doing first and understanding later, this method suits you perfectly.

Final Words: Trust the Process

Learning DSA is never easy, no matter which path you choose. But the key is consistency. Whether you follow the traditional approach or the backwards method, the only way to improve is by showing up every day.

There will be days when you feel stuck, days when nothing makes sense — but those are the days your brain is actually doing the real work: learning how to learn.

Starting with LeetCode Hard doesn’t mean you’re trying to prove anything. It means you’re willing to face the challenge early and grow stronger from it.

Remember:

  • Don’t fear hard problems.
  • Don’t chase problem counts.
  • Learn concepts.
  • Build depth over speed.
  • And most importantly, enjoy the process.
  • You’re not just preparing for a job. You’re training your brain to think better, solve faster, and build confidence that will stay with you for life.
  • So stay consistent, stay curious — and keep solving.
  • My Personal Experience With Learning DSA Backwards

When I first started DSA, I followed the usual path — easy ➝ medium ➝ hard. But after a while, I felt stuck. I was solving problems, but not really understanding the depth behind them.

Then I tried something different. I opened a LeetCode Hard problem. I couldn’t solve it. Not even close. But that’s when I realized — it exposed what I didn’t know.
I watched a few tutorials, learned the concept behind it, and slowly started seeing patterns. That one hard problem led me to understand two new topics I’d never studied before.

From that day, I stopped fearing hard problems. I started welcoming them.

It’s not about solving everything — it’s about learning something from everything.

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