Stop Grinding LeetCode SQL. Do This Instead.

- Stop grinding random SQL problems. Senior interviews test patterns, not volume. - Master ~7 core areas: window functions, gaps and islands, self joins, conditional aggregation, date/cohort logic, recursive CTEs, NULL handling. - Always explain the grain and your approach before writing SQL. - Treat optimisation as a default habit — filter early, pre-aggregate before joins, avoid blind distinct. - Use ChatGPT/Claude as a sparring partner to generate realistic, domain-specific practice — not as