I feel like ZeroHeight are experimenting with their interview process - and it shows in a good way, with one notable exception.
I really enjoyed my interactions with the staff. There's a clear structure to each step, everything is well-documented, and shared ahead of time so you know what to expect. Almost everyone I spoke to was warm, engaged, and present. Overall, the company seems to have a very positive culture.
1) Hello Call.
This was a get-to-know-you exercise conducted by the Engineering Manager. The goal was to introduce yourself, learn about ZeroHeight, and see if there's a good fit. There was also a fun exercise to review a UI and reason about possible improvements.
Comments:
Very engaging and an excellent introduction to the company.
The conversation was easy and enjoyable. Personally, I could have talked for hours.
Advice:
Just be yourself. There are no trick questions, and the exercises are straightforward.
2) Coding.
This was a live coding exercise with two engineers using CodeSandbox on a pre-existing project. The task involved fixing bugs and writing some code.
Comments:
The engineers were relaxed, funny, and engaged. By this point, I was already impressed with the team culture.
Advice:
Standard approach: get a lay of the land before starting, ask questions, explain your thinking, and don't rush yourself. Enjoy the task.
3) Product Engineering.
This was a whiteboarding exercise with two engineers to define a high-level architecture for an MVP (in my case, an email-based song recommendation system).
Comments:
One engineer had many years at ZeroHeight but seemed less engaged and appeared impatient - likely a one-off. The other engineer was very calm, curious, and approachable.
The exercise isn't typical high-level diagramming for user-facing products. It's not about collaborative discovery or gathering requirements; instead, the goal is to take the problem at face value and architect a solution for an MVP (my original misunderstanding).
Advice:
Be prepared to research your topic at a low-level beforehand. Prepare pseudo-code so you'd be able to explain your solution. Focus on solutioning an MVP rather than gathering requirements. Know the specific APIs, algorithms, and tech systems you would use.
Take a moment to breathe and think, even if you're reminded about time.
4) Founders.
I didn't reach this stage, so nothing to report.
ZeroHeight is clearly trying to create a good interview process, and you can feel it. They may still be figuring out what makes a "perfect engineer", but the engineering team is kind, curious, and open. The People Coordinator was a pleasure to communicate with, frequently providing updates and even offering a follow-up meeting to discuss feedback.
