How We Built a Browser-Based Collaborative Code Editor (And What We Learned)

Short summary

SkillBrew.AI built a browser-based collaborative code editor for remote technical interviews, eliminating tooling friction that wastes time and compromises hiring signal. Key decisions: browser-native (no installs), WebSockets for real-time sync, and OT-based conflict resolution—with tough challenges around latency, cursor positioning, undo, and reconnection. Core lesson: collaborative systems surface edge cases fast; real user testing beats unit tests.

• •Browser-native design with WebSocket sync eliminates installation friction in technical interviews
• •Operational Transformation approach handles concurrent edits; server holds canonical state for reliability
• •Real-world testing and dogfooding uncovered subtle issues (latency perception, cursor drift, reconnection) that unit tests missed

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.