The Problem (Pain Level: 8/10)
“I don’t know why I got stuck. I’ll probably get stuck at the same point next time” - a common struggle for interview preppers.
Current pain points:
- Blind Practice: Solve problems but can’t objectively analyze your thinking process
- Time Mystery: Don’t remember where you spent most time
- Repeating Mistakes: Can’t recognize stuck patterns, so they repeat
- Expensive Coaching: Programs like Outtalent cost 5% of your salary
- No Feedback: LeetCode only tells you right or wrong, no process feedback
Target Market
Primary Target: Developer job seekers, FAANG applicants, CS students
Market Size:
- Technical interview prep market: $200M+
- LeetCode Premium users: Millions
- Annual technical interview candidates: Tens of millions worldwide
Pain Intensity: Career-defining moment, high motivation
What is Coding Interview Recorder?
A self-review tool that records your coding practice and uses AI to analyze your thinking process.
Core Concept:
# Start practice session
interview-rec start --problem "Two Sum"
# During recording:
# - Screen capture (code area)
# - Keystroke logging
# - Timestamp recording
# - Optional: Microphone (think aloud)
# End session
interview-rec stop
# Generate analysis report
interview-rec analyze
# Output:
# ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
# │ 📊 Session Analysis Report │
# ├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
# │ Total Time: 23m 45s │
# │ Typing Speed: avg 42 WPM │
# │ │
# │ ⏸️ Pause Sections: │
# │ - 5:23-8:45 (3m 22s) before hashmap │
# │ - 12:30-14:10 (1m 40s) edge cases │
# │ │
# │ 🔄 Edit Patterns: │
# │ - 7 consecutive backspaces (15:20) │
# │ - Variable renamed 3 times │
# │ │
# │ 💡 AI Feedback: │
# │ "You took time to think of hashmap │
# │ approach. Recommend practicing │
# │ Two Pointer and HashMap patterns." │
# └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
How It Works:
- Local screen/keystroke recording
- Timestamp-based event logging
- Pause/edit/delete pattern analysis
- LLM analyzes thinking process and provides feedback
Differentiators:
- Self-Observation: Analyze yourself from an objective view
- Pattern Recognition: Visualize stuck patterns, mistake patterns
- Local First: Sensitive coding data stored locally
- AI Feedback: Coaching on thinking process, not just answers
- Timeline View: Review sessions like watching a video
Competitive Analysis
| Competitor | Features | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| LeetCode | Problem solving platform | No thinking process analysis |
| interviewing.io | Mock interviews | $225/session, expensive |
| Pramp | Peer interviews | Hard to schedule |
| Exponent | System design | Not coding interview focused, $39/mo |
Opportunity: No self-directed thinking process analysis tool
Competition Level: EMERGING - New category
MVP Development
Estimated Timeline: 6 weeks
Tech Stack:
- Recording: Electron + local recording (ffmpeg)
- Keylogger: Platform native (node-global-key-listener)
- Analysis: TypeScript
- AI: OpenAI API or local LLM
- Storage: SQLite (local)
MVP Features:
- Screen region selection recording
- Keystroke timestamp logging
- Auto-detect pause/edit sections
- Basic analysis report (text)
- AI feedback generation
Future Features:
- Timeline replay viewer
- Problem type statistics
- Weakness pattern tracking
- YouTube coding tutorial export
Revenue Model
Model: Freemium
Pricing:
- Free: 3 sessions/week, basic analysis
- Pro ($12/mo): Unlimited sessions, AI feedback, history
- Lifetime ($99): Perpetual license
Revenue Projection:
- 6 months: $2K-5K MRR
- 12 months: $5K-12K MRR
Risk Analysis
| Risk | Level | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | MEDIUM | Keylogger permissions, platform compatibility |
| Market | LOW | Interview prep market proven |
| Execution | MEDIUM | 6 week MVP, incremental features |
Key Risk: macOS permissions (Accessibility, Screen Recording required)
Who Should Build This
- Developers who have prepared for coding interviews
- Those with Electron/desktop app development experience
- Developers interested in dev tools
- Those interested in education/coaching space
- YouTubers interested in coding tutorials
If you’re starting a side project with this idea, or have other thoughts, share in the comments!