The interview process consisted of three rounds: an initial conversation with a senior leader, a technical roundtable with team members, and a planned final round with the product team. Before that final round, I was asked to join an unexpected additional call, where I was lowballed by nearly $40K under my clearly stated salary range (which was already included in the application). The offer was barely above the minimum for the role and felt disingenuous and disrespectful. During that same call, I also received unsolicited feedback on my home office setup (“you should clean your office”, referring to a box and a bike in the background) and advice to “move the camera so you’re always looking into it.” The whole tone came across as micromanaging and condescending. What really sealed it was the sudden shift in expectations. I was told they’re not looking for people who are “just problem solvers,” but instead want engineers who are highly business-oriented. If that’s what they were looking for, it should’ve been clear from the beginning. It came across as a setup to expect more than one role from a single hire, without the transparency or compensation to match. After that call, I withdrew from the process. The lowball offer was a major red flag, but the overall tone and values conveyed were enough to convince me it wasn’t the right fit.