The application process began with an internal referral from a friend who used to work at a startup where I was previously employed. He added me to their system, and about four days later, a recruiter initiated first contact.

The recruiter was quick to assess my experience and decided to invite me for a 1 hour and 30 minute interview the following week. This session included a brief "hi" from the recruiter, followed by two 30-minute slots: one focused on architecture and design (referred to as the "pirate interview") and the other on coding (the "ninja interview"). Of the two, I excelled at the coding question. However, during the pirate interview, I encountered an interviewer who had tailored a question based on his previous experience in an area I had recently worked in. This interaction did not go well, primarily because I possessed more in-depth knowledge of the topic, and the interviewer seemed intent on discussing a specific trick he knew. Despite this, I was invited back the next week for a full day of interviews.

The full day included lunch, more coding sessions, and culture interviews. My performance in coding and design was strong again, but my softer skills were less successful. I believe the key here is to present a confident, well-rehearsed persona, with prepared answers for common questions (such as "What is your biggest mistake?"). Do not discuss mistakes and then admit you don't know the root cause, even if they were genuine mysteries. Pick a different example!

The entire process spanned approximately four weeks, with the final decision being delayed by two weeks, seemingly due to indecision about whether to extend an offer. By this time, I had received multiple offers and had to accept one that was expiring and too good to miss. I later learned that no hire decision was made, which I found acceptable. I would consider reapplying at some point, but with better preparation for the softer skill Q&A portion.

If you go through the career cup questions, all three of my questions were on there. One of them, the most difficult one, I only had 15 minutes to answer due to overrunning.