Salesforce Marketing Cloud Software Developer Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our Salesforce Marketing Cloud interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 5 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
1. Tell me the difference between a Comparison and Non-Comparison Sorting Algorithm?
How to Answer
This is actually a common interview question asked of software developers. Which sorting algorithm is fastest? This question believe it or not doesn't have an easy or unambiguous answer. On one hand the speed of sorting can depend on the environment, in which the sorting is done, and on the other hand it can depend on the type of items that are sorted and the distribution of these particular items. For example, if you are sorting a large database that cannot fit into memory all at once, this would be quite different from sorting an array of 100 integers. Adding to that, not only will the implementation of an algorithm be quite different, but it may even be that the same algorithm. It might also help to know the five Sorts that will likely be brought up in an interview. They are: Quick Sort, Insertion Sort, Shell Sort, Heap Sort, and Merge Sort. Study them and research examples of how they are use and the differences between them. I will give examples that you can use here as well.
Answer Example
"One of the first things that I do before making any type of comparison is to use a test environment to test the speed of the different sorting algorithms (Comparison and Non-Comparison) in this case. I test each algorithm several times for randomly-generated arrays to gather the most accurate data before I proceed to the next step in the process. The next step is to look for random numbers between 0 and 10 times the array size so I can create array content. I may or may not do a high-repetition test with numbers between 0 and 1/100 times in the same context as well. After I do this, the results may come back as completely random, sorted, or reversed. I would also run some test-cases to determine the number of repetitions from low to high for each value if the array repeats."
2. Talk about the differences between structured English and Pseudo Code?
How to Answer
Let's begin with what structured English and Pseudo Code are. Structured English is native English language. Its primary purpose is to write the structure of a program module. It uses programming language keywords to achieve this. Pseudo Code on the other hand is like a programming language without syntax of any specific language. This question can come in different forms, and each hiring manager in Salesforce's software development organization will ask it differently, but essentially they are asking the same question. Pseudocode is a kind of structured English used for describing algorithms. It describes the entire logic of an algorithm so that when implementation happens, it is translated line by line into source code. Basically, this is an algorithm question that the hiring manager asks to see if you're old school, and if you've written code in Lisp, FORTRAN or C programming language. This tells the manager how you approach a project, whether it's task structured or methodology driven. Either is not a wrong answer, but you want to ask the interviewer early in the interviewer what type of development organization he/she runs so you can answer accordingly. Make sure you have researched Salesforce's development practices before the interview so that you can anticipate the answer to this question and be prepared to respond to it.
Answer Example
"My approach is simple, I take an organized approach to how I write code, and the way I differentiate structured English, and Pseudo Code. First, I make a list of the main tasks that need to be accomplished. Then, I break them down into small manageable tasks that can be explained with a short phrase. It's been my experience that the further I dig into the correlation between Pseudo Code and real code, I find that Pseudo Code helps me plan the structure but doesn't help me resolve the real-world programming. In my opinion, that's really the bottom line difference in simple terms between the two. Since either is actual programming languages, they act as structured algorithms that can be used in a programming language."
3. As part of software development, were you involved with working on functional and non-functional requirements?
How to Answer
In short, functional requirements are functional features which are expected by users from a proposed software product. Non-functional requirements on the other hand are more related to security, performance, and the look and feel of the user interface, a.k.a. (UI). In order for a project to be successful, it is critically essential that both the customer and the project delivery teams have a clear definition and agreement on what the project scope and detailed requirements are going to be.
There are three types of requirements: conscious, unconscious and unidentified or TBD requirements.
When a hiring manager asks this question, they want to know if part of your job requires gathering and analyzing functional or non-functional requirements. For functional requirements gathering, they will want to hear things like how the system behaves under certain conditions within its environment, how it responds to inputs and what outputs it generates. As far as non-functional requirements, they will want to also hear things like constraints on the system, quality attributes, security, performance and availability for example.
Answer Example
"Yes, I work with cross-functional teams within our organization on functional and non-functional requirements. I take a unique approach to how I address these types of requirements. It's kind of a step by step method really. There are three requirement types that I use. Conscious, unconscious, and unknown requirements. Conscious is when stakeholders have a high-level awareness of the basic requirements. Unconscious is what stakeholders would like to see, but didn't translate the message clearly enough to see the desired result. This stakeholder assumes that the work they envisioned will be delivered, which in most cases falls short of their expectation. Unknown is the type that has yet to be imagined or realized. Stakeholders typically don't give input into this type because they assume it is not achievable or cannot be delivered as expected."
4. What is your opinion on a feasibility study, and when should it be done?
How to Answer
As a Software Developer, you need to look at things from a broader perspective in order to gain a bigger picture of what your internal customer (department), or external customer (client) really wants. In the early stages of the software development cycle, you may find that a feasibility study might be required. Even though Salesforce's CRM and Marketing Cloud offerings are already commercialized, there will be opportunities for new initiatives for both internal products and customer offerings. There are two important factors to consider before determining whether or not a feasibility study is required. A feasibility study is really broken down into two important categories. The first is Technical in nature, and the second is an Operational view. An interviewer wants to know if you follow protocol by offering a feasibility study to the client or just go through the motions of your job. It's important to make mention of this in your interview because it helps crystallize in the interviewer's mind that you go above and beyond the norm to get the job done right. Again, the interviewer is asking for your opinion, so it's important to express your opinion with an explanation of why you think it should or shouldn't be performed.
Answer Example
"In my current role, I was asked by senior management whether or not a feasibility study would provide insight into potential productivity improvements and cost saving measures within the organization. I took on the task of planning and execution for a feasibility study to determine what type of outcome we could expect. I gathered a team and formed a committee, and assigned each team member a task, a goal, and a phased timeline to report back on their findings. After the feasibility study was completed, we analyzed the data and found that there was just cause to perform a full-scale feasibility study. The results provided insightful information about what areas of the company needed further analysis and other areas that started seeing improvements. We selected the technology, production, operations, and accounting for this study. After all the data was analyzed, I provided a draft of our findings to management for review for accuracy, relevance and completeness. I was given praise for this project since it did help the selected departments in every aspect of the operation."
5. How would you define software configuration management?
How to Answer
Salesforce is constantly seeking to improve its service offerings. This involves frequent improvements and updates to its software and other systems. Therfore, you are very likely to be asked this question. In simple terms, software configuration management is the process of systematically managing, tracking and controlling changes that happen in the software development lifecycle. This includes changes in the code, documentation and process. Change control however unpopular, is a function which ensures all changes made to the software system are consistent with development practices and internal methodologies. The ultimate goal is to see productivity improvement with a minimal amount of mistakes throughout the development lifecycle. Here the interviewer is looking for how you prioritize configuration management duties and responsibilities, and your experience with controlling something even if you don't know what it is. This can be tricky, so let me explain. The reason configuration management is used is if there are multiple team members working on a software or revision which is running on multiple machines or needs constant updating. Another reason is if a company has multiple locations or divisions that need to distribute work concurrently.
Answer Example
"My definition of software configuration management is a set of activities that identify a number of items including source code modules, test cases, requirements specification documents, tools used, objects, files, and CSCI in SCM repositories just to name a few. There are also other important activities that I coincide with these actions as well. The first thing I look at is a baseline which lets me know the accepted version of a software configuration item. The second is change control, which is a method that ensures quality and consistency when changes are made. Third on this list is configuration audits which verify that the software meets the minimum baseline needs, and that the deliverable is being met."
6. What is software scope, and what does the process involve?
How to Answer
Software scope is a set of activities and actions that are to be performed as part of the delivery of a software product. Software scope should be well defined with phase by phase milestones, functionalities and deliverable components. A question like this will be asked regardless of what experience level you are at in software development. This is a fundamental question that all software developers should know, and should know well. Let me give you some clarifying pointers that you can use for a better explanation and response. Software scope identifies a few different but important elements including what the product will do, what is outside the scope of the project (what is not to be done), what is the timeline for completion of the project, who is documenting the list of deliverables, goals, tasks, and what the estimated cost of the project will be. There's one more part that should be covered because it comes up more times than not in an interview. Project Scope creep. This is when a the project experiences changes or uncontrolled growth during the project. The reason for this is because the project was not well defined, documented or controlled early in the project specification phase.
Answer Example
"Software scope for me is relatively easy because at my current company I'm involved at every stage of the documentation and project delivery process. It is my responsibility to identify all aspects of project scope including but not limited to what the end product will do, what the expected timeline will be, who needs to approve deliverables at every phase, what the goals and tasks will be for assigned team members, how the features will work and their characteristics, and what the estimated cost will be for the final product. As part of my due diligence, I always draft a Project scope document that includes items that are not part of the scope of work. This helps eliminate any confusion or miscommunication with the end client."
7. As a software developer, explain the meaning of debugging, and why it's used?
How to Answer
In the software debugging world, the process starts as soon as code is written and continues in successive stages of the development process, and is then combined with other units of programming to form a software product. Since debugging is a multistep process that involves identifying a problem, isolating the source of the problem, and then correcting the problem. Please remember this since a technical manager that knows development and debugging well will quiz you on multiple facets of this area. It's really important to note that hiring managers will want to find out how good the quality of your code is. The reason is they will know how much time you will be spending on the debugging process. If you maintain a high quality level of code, you'll be doing less debugging, if your code is average or not great, you'll be spending a lot more time debugging which managers might see as a weakness. Please be aware of this.
Answer Example
"In short, debugging is an important part of determining why an operating system, application or program is behaving abnormally. When I do debugging, there are many things that I take into account during this process. For larger lines of code, I conduct unit testing and pair programming which helps me identify bugs at an earlier stage. I also use the stand alone debugger tool to further identify bugs. I've always been conscious of my work, and only want to put out top quality work. To further understand where bugs may reside, I also look at the module to see if the problem avails itself. If not, I set up a 'breakpoint' and run a program to see it run its course. After performing debugging and testing, I do come across errors which I address and correct immediately. Some examples are...Syntax errors, Runtime errors, Logic errors, Semantic errors, etc."
8. What is verification and validation, and why it is important?
How to Answer
Verification and validation are extremely important in the software development process. If you can't verify or validate a set of activities to ensure that the software is not implemented correctly, hasn't been built to specification or is functioning properly, then you will surely have problems with your production environment. Interviewers know how important this is, and will ask questions about it to make sure that you have a practice of doing your due diligence to ensure the highest quality software development. When questions come up about verification and validation, it might score you an extra point in the interview if you give the interviewer a history of how V&V was formed. It is actually an application of Six Sigma and its principles. Salesforce adopted the Six Sigma process early and offers its employees training and certification opportunities in this discipline. It was used to design products in the manufacturing and support process areas. It's important to remember if asked that there are two important aspects of software quality management. Verification gives the answer to the question whether software is being developed correctly, and validation provides the answer whether the right software is being produced.
Answer Example
"In my opinion, verification and validation are at the heart of every development project. I take this step very seriously and it shows in my work. This of course includes all the steps and procedures of Validation. Prospective validation is important because it is done to ensure the product is functioning properly. Retrospective validation is done against the written specifications and verifies actual data. Periodic validation is used to repair, relocate or dismiss data that serves no purpose. Partial validation is mostly used for research, but can come in handy for pilot studies. Cross validation is suitable for estimating performance of statistical models. Concurrent validation is usually carried out during regular maintenance or service routines in the post development process."
9. Describe at a high level what the software development life cycle process is.
How to Answer
SDLC or Software Development Life Cycle which it is called is a software development process that produces software in the most efficient way possible. SDLC includes a detailed plan for how a software application is to be developed, altered, maintained, or even replaced. SDLC involves several distinct stages, which include planning, design, building, testing, and deployment. Depending on what level hiring manager you are interviewing with, you'll need to be able to answer questions related to the SDLC life cycle. If the manager is hands on, and has a history of writing code, and knows the SDLC, then you might want to mention what types of methodologies you have used. Some of the most popular ones are Waterfall, Agile, and Spiral Model. If you 're interviewing with a senior level manager that hasn't done much coding but understands the SDLC, then your answer might be a higher level (strategic response). Either way, it's good to have a solid foundation of how SDLC works. The whole purpose of creating the SDLC foundational architecture is to lower the cost of software development while improving quality and shortening production time.
Answer Example
"I have sound knowledge of the entire SDLC process, and have used it as the foundation of my development in my career. During my development career, I have used a few different SDLC methodologies that I am very comfortable with. They are Waterfall, Agile, V-Model, Iterative, and Spiral Model. Not only do I fully understand SDLC, but the important stages that are required for quality software development and execution. It starts with the following stages:
Requirement analysis
Technical and business specifications
Software architecture and infrastructure
Implementation/Integration
Testing
Documentation
Training and support
Maintenance"
10. Can you list for me the important categories of software development?
How to Answer
Believe it or not, the world of software development is an important part of our daily lives. Without it, we wouldn't have all the wonderful apps and mobile technologies that we use on a daily basis. Not only is software development important in our lives, but it is a highly sought-after skill for companies like Salesforce who can't find enough of this type of talent. Speaking of in-demand occupations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics even projected a 30% employment growth in the software development field by 2026. Let's talk about some questions that may come in the course of an interview. Many hiring managers like to test software developers by asking what type or category of software development they have worked on. Software developers will tend to work in specialty development areas where they have a comfort level. Most software developers should know what the 9 basic types of software development should be even if they haven't worked directly in that category. When interviewing with Salesforce, you should be able to discuss your familiarity with Cloud Computing Development, since this is likely what you are interviewing for.
For reference purposes and preparation, here are 9 different types of software development:
1. Mobile Development
2. Web Development
3. Back-End Development
4. Application Development
5. Data Science Development (Data Analytics)
6. API Development
7. Security Software Development
8. Embedded Systems Development
9. Cloud Computing Development
Answer Example
"I'm quite familiar with all the categories of software development, and have coded in most of them with a high level of confidence. The projects I have worked on have been Web Development - building front-end web pages in Java, Wordpress, HTML, PHP, and ASP .NET. Mobile Development - building web apps on HTML5, Java, C# and Objective C. Application Development - typical app dev with tools like VB.NET, Python, C++, C# and Java. Data Science Development (Data Analytics) - This is a fun one for me. I've been building intelligent data warehouses and data sets for scientific applications using tools like MATLAB, Python, and C++. Back-end Development - this type of work is mostly server-side database driven development which requires different programming languages and architecture. Some of the development tools I have used here are dBase, Oracle, SQL Server, Java, Python and C++."
11. What method do you use to find the missing number in an integer array of 1 to 100?
How to Answer
When it comes to interview questions about finding missing numbers in an integer, it should alert you to the fact that the interviewer has a specific type of role in mind for the candidate. More than likely, they are looking for someone who is an analytical thinker and can solve problems relatively easily. This skill is critical for any Software Engineering position, but especially when interviewing for a company owned by Microsoft. Let me demonstrate. Let's say I have an array number from 1 to 100. These are just random numbers for now. In a sorted array, you can compare whether a number is equal to expected next number or not. Alternatively, you can also use the BitSet method in Java to solve this problem as well. A BitSet solution is more general, as you can use it to find more than one missing value on an integer array. Take your time to think about how you will respond to these types of questions, because the interviewer is testing your ability to process and come up with an answer.
Answer Example
"Having many tools at my disposal, I find that a Java solution is the best way to solve this problem. I would typically write a program to find the missing number in an array in Java, C# or another language. The method I use is to find missing elements in an area of 100 integers, which contains numbers between 1 and 100. Looking at this problem from a high level, this can easily be solved by calculating the sum of the series using n(n+1)/2, to solve this problem. It's a quick and efficient way to do it, but keep in mind that it cannot be used if the array contains more than one number, or if the array contains duplicates. Some of these solutions might require you to calculate the sum of numbers and then subtract that from the actual sum to arrive at the correct answer."
12. Describe how do you implement an insertion sort algorithm, and what's the easiest way to do it?
How to Answer
If an interviewer asks ten software developers to describe how to implement a sort algorithm, you'll probably get 10 slightly different but related answers. Every software developer has a method and a work style of their own that works for them and makes them efficient at their job. On Salesforce's "Interview Tips" page, they encourage candidates to talk about themselves and share their unique experiences and insights. An interviewer in this case wants to hear about the specific method you use and if you take any shortcuts to arrive at the final product. They want to know if you take shortcuts which could compromise the quality of work you are doing. They would like to hear about your development methodology and how you implement an insertion sort algorithm while doing your due diligence and quality checks along the way. In simple terms, the way an insertion sort works is it starts from the index 1(not 0), and each index starting from index 1 is like a new card, that you have to place at the right position in a sorted sub-array on the left side.
Answer Example
"Interview Tips"
13. Can you walk me through the meaning behind a Depth First Search Algorithm for a binary tree?
How to Answer
When looking at a question of this magnitude, there are a number of different factors to consider. You will want to get clarification from the interviewer on whether they want to hear the meaning for tree structure data, time complexity, extra space, or a node stack. Let's examine what some of these mean and how they might come up in the course of an interview. Time Complexity - has four transversals O(n) as they visit every node exactly once. Extra Space - requires O(w) Level Order Transversal where w is the maximum width of a Binary Tree which stores nodes of different levels. Interview related questions might look something like.....what are typical binary tree numbers? 1, 3, 7, 15 or in a worst case scenario a value of 2h is Ceil(n/2) will usually come up as good answers to this question. A couple more that might come are when is extra space required for Level Order Transversal and Depth First Transversal? Two good responses can be a more balanced position for Level Order Transversal, and a less balanced position for Depth First Transversal.
Answer Example
"I'm familiar with the meaning of this question. There are a couple ways to answer it so I will give you both examples. The two most common methods of searching a graph or a tree related to a depth first search are depth first search and breadth first search for starters. Depending on the application you are using and the result you want to achieve, this should be determined by the type of data that is contained in your tree or graph data structure. For a Breath First Search, I start at the root node. I then search all their children nodes moving from left to right, then I repeat the process at the level below the root node. I typically repeat this again on each level until I reach the end of the tree or node. As a general practice, I use a queue as an intermediary step as a way of keeping track of what nodes I need to search."
14. What is your experience with implementing a Binary Search Algorithm without recursion?
How to Answer
This is the type of question an interviewer will ask if he starts to doubt your ability to perform certain duties revolving around algorithm based development. Since software development at some level relies on algorithms and data structures, this will be an important question that you must understand and answer properly. If we look at how the binary search structure is broken down, it contains a binary search, or half-interval search which is a divide and conquer algorithm that seeks a position of an item in a sorted array. When a hiring manger asks about comparing inputs and output to the middle element of an array, they are asking if a search returns the position of an element. Since this is a feature important to Salesforce's Marketing Cloud, It's important to know and understand this concept. Another question that may be asked is whether or not an input is less than or greater than an element. If you have a sound understanding of these concepts, ask the interviewer to what level of detail you would like to answer their question. Some interviewers only want to hear a high level answer, and others want a detailed explanation.
Answer Example
"I have extensive experience and hands on knowledge implementing binary search algorithms with and without recursion. For this answer, I will talk about BSA without recursion. Binary search algorithms typically halve the number of items checked for each successive iteration, thus locating the given item in logarithmic time. Furthermore, a Binary Search Implementation in a Java algorithm is implemented recursively respectively. Also, an interesting fact I would like to share is that binary search algorithm implementation is mostly done without recursion. It is also known as iterative binary search."
15. How do you approach implementing an LRU Cache in your favorite programming language?
How to Answer
Having a favorite programming language tells a lot about the experience and expertise level of a software developer. There are numerous languages to pick from, and depending on what applications you are working on, and what you are intending to achieve, some might work better than others. A hiring manager at Salesforce might start with a question about what your favorite language is, and then move to your approach and possibly your methodology or reasoning for favoring that language. Your pre-interview research should tell you what languages the developers at Salesforce use, which can help you structure your answer. Let me give an example of how this question might be answered. If we intend to use Java for this example, we would look at the LRU cache and recently used entries, then remove the element from the bottom and add an element to the start of a LinkedList and wherever any entry is accessed, it is moved to the top so that recently used entries will reside at the top, and the least used entries will reside on the bottom.
Answer Example
"The way I approach implementing an LRU Cache is really based on what programming language is used in the development environment. Yes, I do have a preference, but I consider it a tool in a toolbox, I use whatever is available to me. Java seems to be a tool of choice in most development environments, and for me as well. Say for example we are given total possible page numbers that can be referred. We are also given cache (or memory) size (Number of page frames that the cache can hold at a given time). The LRU caching scheme is intended to remove the least recently used frame when the cache is full and thus a new page is referenced which was not in the cache before. Example of this approach and method are referenced in the Galvin book."
16. Tell me how you find duplicate numbers in an array in Java containing multiple duplicates?
How to Answer
You will find that Java is used with many applications, on many different platforms, and a multitude of languages as well. If you're in software development, and haven't learned to program in Java, I suggest you learn it as soon as possible. It is becoming a core technology for web development, and development in general. It has many capabilities that other programming tools don't have, and that's why it's been a favorite for many developers. Everyone in IT has their own way of approaching a difficult problem and finding a solution. In this case, we're talking about finding duplicate numbers in an array in Java. Luckily Java is a go-to for most developers trying to solve this problem. An interviewer might phrase this question in a few different ways, but this is the easiest to understand. When you hear the words Sorted or Binary search, this means that they are looking for you to explain what inner and outer loops mean, or parsing items inside an array. Be prepared for those questions as well.
Answer Example
"Problem solving has always been a strength of mine. I take them on with the goal of finding a solution to a problem in the shortest time possible. In a recent project, I was working on a Java development project that required using Binary Search and Sorting. I started by adding a duplicate list of elements inserted back into an array. I also used two pointers to solve this, one to compare an element, and its closest neighbor to maintain a distinct element. Another method that I tried was by parsing all the items inside of an array containing 'n' to give me O(n). This way we get an array of the n+1 element with integers between 1 and 4, which means there will be at least on duplicate as a result."
17. Do you have a preferred language that you like to write programming algorithms?
How to Answer
Every developer no matter what level of expertise has their views and opinions when it comes to programming language choices. It's much like a toolbox, you use them based on the specific need you have to solve a problem or fix something. One of the Chief Scientist at Salesforce wrote a blog about this in which they stated that software programming is developing, due to deep-learning algorithms, which review large amounts of information and can better handle messy or "unstructured" data, including human language. One of the reasons an interviewer will ask this question is to see what range of tools you have used, and which you prefer using. they also want to see if you are familiar with the latest developments in programming. It always helps to start by stating that you have used several languages and have a high confidence level with all of them, but if you had to pick, give them a range and narrow them to one of your favorites. Don't be surprised if an interviewer asks why you like that language, and what benefit it gives you. If the interview is going well, it wouldn't be a bad idea to talk about some of the strengths and weaknesses of a few that you have used. As a reference, the top languages likely be Python, Java, JavaScript, C, C#, Ruby, PHP, Swift and SQL.
Answer Example
"unstructured"
18. Based on your experience, what's the best way to find a node that begins with two single link lists?
How to Answer
You will find that interviewers like to ask candidates about the various methods they use to find nodes and link lists. Don't be surprised if this question comes up a couple times during an interview with Salesforce but is asked in a different way. To get a broader understanding of linked lists, here's an overview: A linked list is easiest explained as a linear data structure with the collection of multiple nodes, where each element stores its own data and a pointer to the location of the next element. The last link is essentially a linked list that points to null, which indicates it's at the end of a chain. An element on the other hand in a linked list that is called a node. The first of nodes is called the head, and the last of nodes is called the tail. An interviewer will likely dig into questions about linear data structure, and which nodes contains a value and pointer.
Answer Example
"The best example I can give is to list the most important properties of a class Linked List. This highlights how they are used and why they are used.
A Linked List maintains an insertion order of the elements.
Implements Queue and Deque interfaces. These can also be used as a Queue, Deque or Stack.
A Linked List can contain all the elements, including but not limited to duplicates and null.
A Java Linked List Class library is not synchronized, which means in a multi-threaded environment it must be synchronized concurrently for modifications to the linked list externally.
A Linked List Class doesn't implement a Random Access interface, so elements can be accessed in sequential order.
I can use a List Iterator to iterate elements of the list
I can use a collections synchronized List (new Linked List) to get a synchronized linked list."
19. How do you find the starting node of a cycle if a link contains a cycle?
How to Answer
Let's say for arguments sake that two cyclists (no pun intended) are pointed at the beginning of the starting line with their cycles. For clarification purposes the two cyclists are the pointers. In this example, if we move cyclist 1 a step at a time, and the second cyclist 2 steps at a time, they would eventually meet at a single point. What an interviewer wants to know is whether you can explain how you arrive at an answer, and the reasoning behind your findings. This is important because when you explain if a link contains a cycle, you need to back that up with a verbal or written (whiteboard) example. A common response might be the mention of let's say that a meeting point is 'P' steps away from the beginning of the cycle, and the 'cyclists' meet when cyclist 1 has taken a '7' total steps toward the point.
Answer Example
"The way that I find a starting node of a cycle is I measure the length of 'R' and how far the distance is away from the cycle. That's a simple explanation. A more complex explanation I can illustrate is when cyclist 1 travels double the speed of cyclist 2, they both arrive at the same meeting point when time is constant. Since there are several examples I can give to make my point, I would like to share one more. The next pointer of each node that is traversed is made to point to this temporary node. This way we are using the next pointer of a node as a flag to indicate whether the node has been traversed or not. If I come across a node that points to null, then the loop doesn't exist. If I find that the code runs in O(n) time complexity and uses constant memory space, then that tells me that this needs to be researched further."