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I'm been a full-stack web/mobile developer for various startups over the past couple years.. I've always thought it would be cool to work at a larger company like google for awhile, seems like I'd learn a ton.. but I didn't really go through school and don't have your standard strong CS fundamentals as a result, so haven't been quite sure about what to do :P. Any tips on the best way to acquire these skills through self-study?

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Read "The Algorithm Design Manual", and do exercises from every chapter.

Whether or not you decide to interview at Google, building up strong CS fundamentals will make you a better programmer. And we're not the only ones who ask those types of questions. :)

Unless you know your CS fundamentals you are unlikely to get hired in any top software development company (regardless of whether you would be actually using these skill in your job). They're basically used as a hiring differentiator, because competition can be fierce. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try learning, although my approach is to work a side project that would develop these skills by necessity.

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