The process took over 4 weeks, and they are extremely slow in moving forward.

1. Phone Interview: Started with an HR round for 20-30 minutes to assess initial fit.
2. Online Coding Test: Required solving a couple of questions within a 2-hour timeframe. There was sufficient time to complete both questions if one was well-prepared.
3. Phone Interview: Followed by a technical interview covering basic Operating Systems, data structures, and sorting algorithms, which was easy to pass.
4. Onsite Technical Interview: Consisted of 3 rounds.

The process concluded with HR escorting me out after lunch. I am uncertain whether this was a positive or negative experience. While the interview process had high standards, as expected, it was also overly stringent and short-sighted. My first two onsite technical rounds went very well but ran slightly over time, leaving me with approximately 40 minutes for the last interview. Each interviewer expected candidates to solve 2-3 questions correctly, which became problematic when I was left with only 10-12 minutes for the second question in my third interview. The interviewer was literally counting down, and I felt pressured to solve the problem within the given time or be rejected. This is precisely what happened; I could only provide the algorithm with a few hints but could not code it. I also felt demeaned when the third interviewer said with a smirk, "Oh, I know, zeros and ones, it's very complex!" He seemed arrogant.

Expecting a candidate to provide an algorithm and code it bug-free in about 20 minutes per question is arbitrary, as question difficulty varies, especially when coding in C++. This approach might not yield good candidates unless the firm is against C++ in general, as I understand they primarily focus on JVM languages. This is further evidenced by the fact that almost every team I observed has had more than two open positions for over six months.

I recognize that it is a great firm doing very well, and I was disappointed not to receive an offer. However, I feel there was little more I could have done, except perhaps managing my time better, which I believe should not have been the deciding factor. To other potential candidates: All the best, and do manage your time well!

Regex Matching, Trees, Algorithms, etc.