The process began with an HR call, followed by an online technical assessment. This assessment included a portion where I reviewed a design document, provided comments, and answered questions as if I were performing a code review. There was also a coding exercise where I was given a small codebase and tasked with implementing a few features.

Honestly, it was quite interesting. There were no "gotchas"; it felt like I was working with existing code to build new features, much like in a professional setting. Both parts of the assessment were timed, lasting about 45 minutes each.

The next step was a live system design interview. This was fairly standard, without overly ambitious prompts like "build Twitter." The prompt was engaging, and if you're well-prepared, it shouldn't pose a significant challenge. Be ready to discuss tradeoffs and explain your decisions.

The final stage was the on-site interview. Although the recruiter attempted to prep me, it wasn't particularly helpful. It was an all-day assignment focused on building a service using AWS. This is where the experience faltered, leading me to rate it as neutral.

The prompt was somewhat vague, leaving much of the implementation details to be figured out independently. However, a "buddy" was available to provide assistance when needed. Participants were expected to use their own AWS accounts and incur costs, though reimbursement was not discussed. While the expense was minimal (around 75 cents), it was an unexpected aspect.

The assignment spanned from 10 AM to 5 PM, followed by over an hour of presentation and discussion. I left after 6:30 PM. After the presentation and demo, I was asked several questions that seemed unrelated to the work I had completed, leaving me unsure of what was being assessed.

Communication was prompt at every stage, with responses received within a few days, which was appreciated. When the decision was made not to proceed, the recruiter provided a call and shared feedback, which is always valuable.

Review a design doc and leave questions, then answer a few follow-up questions. Next, work with a small, unrelated codebase to implement a few features.

This was probably the more interesting and unique part of the interview loop, and was really a lot of fun.