The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at praxipal
Interview
The interview process consisted of interviews all with a single person, the CTO, who is also a founder. While the job advertisement mentioned that they match any salary, I was told I would need to take a significant pay reduction compared to my current role.
The interviewer was extremely demanding and insisted on contacting previous colleagues and line managers, which was a first in my career. Very uncommon. During the conversation, he appeared to focus closely on specific details and wording, sometimes at the expense of the broader context. At times, it felt challenging to change his mind once an initial impression had been formed.
The role requires being in the office every day, and working overtime seems to be an expected part of the culture. He stated, somewhat proudly, that they do not work on weekends because that time is reserved for private life. Is that really a notable benefit?
The technical interview itself was a brief live coding exercise, which offered limited opportunity to demonstrate the full range of one’s technical skills.
I applied in-person. I interviewed at praxipal (Berlin) in Sep 2025
Interview
As first introductory call with the CTO, nothing was asked about my skills to check if my technical abilities could match the position they are filling. Instead, I was warned that I should perform beyond the full time working hours and that they expect me to handle a lot of manual tasks.
Although, the part that really surprised me concerned what was the opinion I left in the previous company because they were going to contact my old managers and he even asked for the name of one of them.
This is strictly illegal according to Article 6 & 7 of the GDPR. I already gathered feedback from my previous managers with both Arbeitszeugnis and also asking direct feedback in a document that my previous employer asked me. No employer can contact your old managers while asking about you because it would violate the Data Protection.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
- Tell me about your professional experience
- What your old managers think about you
- Are you willing to work beyond working hours and be everyday on site in the office