i3 Verticals Senior Software Engineer - Backend interview questions

The interview process was quite unpredictable. Initially, I was directly interviewed by the client, and the interaction went very well. I received a positive response, and multiple team members asked technical questions that were both challenging and relevant to the role. However, after receiving a selection confirmation from the client side, a second round was scheduled — this time with an Indian team member. Unfortunately, this round did not reflect the same professionalism. The interviewer asked very basic, high-level questions — the kind even a 2-3 year experienced candidate could easily answer. It became evident that the purpose of the interview was not technical evaluation. What made this experience disappointing was that the interviewer had worked with me in the past and seemed to have a personal bias. The questions felt more like a formality, and the interaction gave the impression of personal vendetta rather than objective assessment. It's unfortunate to see such mindset-driven decisions still influencing professional hiring processes — especially when a client has already given a green signal based on merit. I respect I3 Verticals for their process but hope they reconsider how internal reviews can sometimes undermine talent due to personal bias.