[scruple]

> In reality, unless it's your hobby, you don't need to be able.

I agree with you completely here. I also feel like I fit the description of a plumber presented here. The most challenging algorithmic problems that I've had to confront in my career, which came when I was working in DSP for an RF company, were things that were tackled by the team -- a group of very talented and very experienced engineers -- and we worked on these problems collaboratively and over a period of time that is not measurable in minutes or hours.

But, having said that, isn't it also undeniable these things, these leetcode-style algorithms, are used to gatekeep entry to many of the "better" jobs in our field, despite the fact that we know that these things are not strictly necessary on the job? At the very least, this has been my experience and I read the same anecdotes on HN frequently.