I went through the standard process of a recruiter finding me on AngelList and getting a phone screen lined up. The manager I spoke to was informative over the phone, albeit a little cold.

I got an onsite interview relatively quickly. The panel was mixed with engineers, engineering managers, a director, and a product manager.

The culture in the office is what really left a bad impression on me. An interview question that stuck out was when a director asked me when I'd put someone on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). I told him I'd work with the engineer to find the root of the issue and help him/her speed up performance. After two attempts, I'd then consider putting them on a PIP. That may take a quarter to go through that process. He looked annoyed and said that was the wrong approach and that I should essentially fire that person within weeks.

It's not a company I see that will foster creativity and innovation. The feeling in that office was cold and militant. The people I interviewed with, with the exception of one of the engineers, came across as arrogant and sometimes rude (one manager asked why I live in the South Bay because they saw it as where all the "dinosaurs" of tech live).

While I didn't get the job, even if I had, I would be hesitant to accept. And if I had accepted, I probably would have quit as soon as my year anniversary passed.

How soon would you PIP an engineer?