Solution: 11/6

Answer: MANIFEST

The puzzle is referencing this maximum 2d subarray interview-style programming problem. Doing this on both grids of 8 numbers yields two sub-rectangles that maximize area. Reading the verticies of the first one and then the second one in a somewhat chaotic order gives the answer.

M A X I M I Z E
S U B A R R A Y
I N T E R I O R
M A I N T A I N
V E R T I C E S
A R T I F A C T
S U G G E S T S
I N S T A N C E

Author’s Notes

I had to come up with a coding interview problems because I volunteered to run one of those. I looked around for inspiration and later that day picked one of them to turn into a puzzle.