[vaylian]

> An interview is and will always be a balance of your technical skill and your ability to present your work and deal with timely feedback. That’s it.

That's the ideal case. However, reality can be very different. Some companies reach for leetcode-style questions because they don't have a clue how to do the interview process the way you describe it.

> What, is it that if you’re not using it today then you’re somehow “behind”?

That is not something you get to decide. The hiring manager will judge you if you are behind if you can't answer leetcode-style questions. This is not a question of knowledge, but a question of power.