The process started with a call from HR. who was very sweet and professional. She clearly explained the process, understood my requirements, and scheduled my first technical round.
The first technical interview went really well. Given my experience, I thought that would be sufficient, but I was asked to attend another technical round. This second round lasted around 1 hour 15 minutes. The interviewer was patient, straightforward, and made me feel comfortable. The questions were tough, but I was able to solve them and write SQL queries and code because of the supportive environment.
After clearing this, I was asked to meet the CEO. Honestly, he was a great person — very understanding and considerate. He even mentioned flexibility like working from home since I have a baby, which really impressed me. At this point, I felt confident and thought the process was done, so I even declined another offer I had in hand.
However, the twist came when HR informed me of another round with the Co-founder. Unfortunately, this round was completely different. The interviewer did not let me finish my introduction, started shooting questions immediately, and the atmosphere was very uncomfortable. I went blank, lost confidence, and couldn’t perform well. Later, I learned from others (including current employees on LinkedIn) that they had similar experiences with the same person. If a company has multiple technical rounds, it’s important to trust your team members’ evaluations. If the decision ultimately depends only on the Co-founder’s round, then it would save everyone’s time and effort to schedule that first. Candidates invest time and sometimes give up other opportunities based on the impression of progress. A transparent, streamlined process would make the experience much better.
