I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Protect AI (Seattle, WA) in May 2024
Interview
4 rounds, average difficult interview. The CTO was very friendly. The interview process is not streamlined yet as it is a startup.
Could have cracked it with a little bit more preparation.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
General CS basic concepts were asked in the initial round and then there were multiple coding questions
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Protect AI (Seattle, WA)
Interview
The good:
The behavioral interview was basic but really good, the interviewer was genuine and professional. I got a good vibe in that he understood the pressures of back-to-back interviews and he was accommodating towards my tangents.
Similarly, the CTO and co-founder was straight forward, smart and humble.
The bad:
The system design interview was atrocious, The questions lacked structure and coherence, they asked questions that were too broad, I mean really broad. When I'd start responding, they would try to push me towards their expected answer, imagine the worst possible version of charade. Much of the 2 hour session was spent trying to gain clarity.
The ugly:
The lead interviewer was arrogant AF verging on unprofessional. There was a moment when he mimicked my speech trivializing my experience in the field and there were other times when he spoke like I wasn't in the room it felt extremely disrespectful.
Bottom line:
Researching this company you will see a lot of positive statements and I'm sure they're all true but my experience was notably bad and I hope you have a better time than I did.