Yonder interview questions

There were four stages, an initial meeting with the CTO to check alignment with the role, two technical rounds which focused on both technical skills and system design/product knowledge, then an in-person values interview which was more around cultural fit. I made it through the whole process and was communicated with quite clearly that another candidate was also being considered. They went with the other candidate for relatively fair reasons regarding industry experience. However, being told their process assessed me as mid-level rather than senior and asking if I'd like to be considered for roles of this level is downright insulting.

The interview process felt poorly managed and lacked structure, which gave the impression that it was being run by someone without much experience in managing hiring processes. The process involved multiple stages: an initial interview with the hiring manager, followed by a joint interview with a live case study, which I passed. I was then invited to a final loop consisting of two additional interviews with other team members focused on values and culture. After completing all stages, the hiring manager — who had already interviewed me twice during the process — decided not to proceed with an offer. The reason given was that I had mainly worked for large companies and therefore might struggle with cold sales in a startup environment. What made this feedback particularly frustrating is that my background was clearly outlined on my CV from the beginning. If this was a major concern, it would have been more respectful to address it earlier in the process rather than after several rounds of interviews and preparation. Additionally, I do have startup experience, but the interviews focused primarily on my roles at larger companies. Overall, the decision felt somewhat arbitrary and the process could have been handled more professionally and efficiently. Candidates invest a significant amount of time preparing for multiple interview rounds, so clearer alignment earlier in the process would make for a much better candidate experience.