Recruiter screen, hiring manager interview, take home exercise and then a functional interview about it, then a leadership interview with the VP of Engineering, then a meet & greet with the team I’d be placed with. I had a great experience and my recruiter was very helpful and supportive throughout the process. This company seems very wholesome and everyone seems very passionate about the work. They have a lot of cool initiatives going on internally for agentic development and it sounds like they’re being very thoughtful. I ended up declining the offer due to the low comp but it wasn’t an easy decision. One thing to note: they did first ask to make it an exploding offer but then they let me extend the deadline. The exploding offer did put me off a bit. Something to keep in mind if you’re nearing this stage.

The interviewers were respectful, engaged, and genuinely interested in understanding my experience. Most importantly, after the process concluded, I received constructive feedback that was specific and actionable. While rejection is never the outcome you're hoping for, the feedback helped me identify areas where I can improve my interview skills moving forward. Not every interview process results in an offer, but professionalism, transparency, and respect for candidates go a long way.