I recently interviewed with this company, going through a process that started off well with an external recruiter and the Head of People Ops. The interview process seemed straightforward until the assessment, which raised concerns as it felt like it could be in violation of FLSA guidelines, with tasks that seemed more beneficial for the company than evaluating my capabilities. The Head of People Ops was pleasant and gave a positive impression. However, the turning point came when I met the COO. Unfortunately, it felt like not much had changed since 2021, when the company experienced a significant employee exodus. The founders appear ill-equipped to lead, and there are unrealistic expectations placed on employees and the ideal candidate profiles they aim to attract. The company uses language that can be toxic for employer branding, and their case study, while not overly challenging, raised concerns about intellectual property usage, especially without a Head of Talent in place. My experience with the COO left me with a negative impression of the company's work philosophy and culture. I withdrew from the process because of this. It was disappointing to see a misalignment between the company's public stance on DEI and the reality observed during the interview. In conclusion, I would advise prospective candidates to carefully consider the potential trade-off between personal life and the company's toxic work culture before investing time in the interview process.