I was recently approached by an external recruiter regarding a position at Midnite. As part of the process, I was asked to complete a technical task. To ensure I met expectations, I specifically asked the recruiter how I should approach the task — whether to make it production-grade or keep it simple and functional. The response was clear: focus on functionality, don’t over-engineer. Following that guidance, I implemented the task in a concise and efficient way. The solution was fully functional, cleanly written, and easy to follow — around 100 lines of code. I intentionally didn’t add abstractions, database setup, or containerization because I was told to keep things simple. However, when Midnite assessed my submission, I was rejected with feedback citing the lack of abstraction, absence of a database, and no containerization — exactly the things I had intentionally omitted based on the direction I was given. This was disappointing and felt like a clear communication breakdown between the company and the external recruiter. If expectations had been properly aligned and clearly communicated, I would have gladly delivered a more robust solution. I’m sharing this to highlight the importance of consistency in the hiring process. When a candidate asks for clarification and follows the given instructions, it’s unfair to evaluate them based on different, unstated criteria.