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Real-time System Design Case Studies

8 Real-time case studies from OpenAI with full breakdowns.

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Messenger App
9 min readReal-timeMessagingDistributed Systems
Advanced+5▶ Mock
ChatGPT-Style Conversational AI Service
7 min readAI / MLReal-timeDistributed Systems
Advanced+2▶ Mock
Real-Time Collaborative Editor (Google Docs / Sheets)
7 min readCollaborationReal-timeDistributed Systems
Advanced▶ Mock
IoT / Sensor Telemetry Pipeline
7 min readIoTData PipelinesStorage
Intermediate+1▶ Mock
Online Chess Platform (chess.com)
6 min readReal-timeDistributed SystemsMessaging
Intermediate▶ Mock
Smart Grid Control over Unreliable Devices
7 min readIoTDistributed SystemsReal-time
Advanced▶ Mock
AI Prompt Playground (OpenAI / Anthropic Console)
6 min readAI / MLFrontendStorage
Intermediate▶ Mock
Surge (Dynamic) Pricing for Ride-Hailing
4 min readReal-timeGeospatialAlgorithms
Advanced▶ Mock

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Real-time in system design?

Real-time is a core system design topic covered in 51 case studies on InterviewSkool. It appears frequently in FAANG interviews, especially at Google, Amazon, and Meta.

How should I prepare Real-time for system design interviews?

Study the case studies above, focusing on architecture trade-offs, scale estimates, and API designs. Practice explaining your decisions aloud — this is exactly what interviewers evaluate.

Practice with a Mock Interview

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