Process: 2+ months, 5 rounds including VP Engineering, technical leads, and CEO, plus a take-home assignment.
The Good: The interviewers were engaged and thoughtful. The technical discussions were genuinely interesting - this felt like a real conversation about the work, not a checkbox exercise. The take-home assignment was a practical problem you might actually face on the job.
The Frustrating: Communication required consistent follow-up from my end. The process was lengthy with limited transparency about timeline or where things stood. After four positive conversations and an assignment, I received a generic rejection citing "different set of experiences and skill sets" - feedback that should have been apparent from my CV before investing two months.
Advice to Candidates: Be prepared for a long process. Don't assume positive interview signals mean anything until you have an offer. Ask explicitly about timeline and next steps at every stage.