I did a tech screen over the phone just to be sure I knew some basic stuff about software development. It's the same process at every software company. I was asked to rate myself in certain categories on a scale of 1 to 10. I tried to be honest in my assessment. I have decades of experience in the industry but I know that I'm not a 10 in any of those categories. James Gosling would be a 10 in Java. Guido van Rossum would be a 10 in Python. Some other experts I know might be 9s or 10s in other categories. I know from doing interviews in the past that rating yourself too high is a sign of poor self-awareness and poor awareness of the industry, and this is a serious red flag. Then I was invited on-site for an interview in several stages. First there was a cultural-fit section to see if I'm the kind of person they'd want to work with, then I did a high-level problem analysis, then I did some coding problems. Finally the CEO took over and asked me more in-depth questions. I actually enjoyed the whole process.

Did not make it past their HR screening, which was your basic "why do you want to work for us" type questions. Interviewer's response to just about anything you say will be, "awesome!" Note that your cover letter will most likely not have been read. Recommendation - stick to the script, keep answers simple, use small words. Elaborating on experience is futile as anything at a technical level will not be understood. When asked brainteasers such as, "On a scale from 1 to 10 how would your rate yourself", just say 10. Modesty works against you on this one.