I recently had the opportunity to interview at Vast Space, and while I didn't meet the bar, I was incredibly impressed by the team and the overall interview process. The Team: From start to finish, each interviewer was kind, professional, and easy to talk to. It was clear they were genuinely interested in assessing my skills while making me feel comfortable. These are people I'd love to collaborate with—each had a good energy and a sense of humor that shone through, especially during lunch. I can confidently say that they are smart, talented, and great individuals who take their work seriously while keeping the culture lighthearted and fun. The Interview Process: The questions were thoughtful and well-targeted. It was clear they invested time into designing a process that accurately reflects what they're looking for in a candidate. I could tell they value their team and are careful about adding new members. The culture interview was unique, a bit different than what I was expecting, but that speaks to the depth of their process. Where I Fell Short: Unfortunately, I didn't perform up to the standard I know I could have. My system design responses were weak, and I wasn't as prepared as I should have been for coding on a Windows machine (I'm a Mac user with a lot of custom keybindings that tripped me up). I lost focus and, in hindsight, should have taken breaks to regroup, but I didn't. These are mistakes on my part, not reflections on the company or the process. Despite all this, I walked away incredibly excited about Vast Space's mission and culture. It's been a long time since I found a company that truly resonated with me. Though I let my excitement and nerves get the better of me, I still think very highly of the team and would love to cross paths with them again in the future. I highly recommend this company for anyone who is passionate about space exploration and working with a top-notch team.