Summary
I recently interviewed for an SDE1 Backend position at Auquan, going through a challenging 5-round process that included a take-home assignment, graph and 2D matrix problem-solving, and a live coding session to implement a feature. Despite successfully navigating the technical rounds, I was ultimately rejected, with HR citing a preference for a more senior candidate and my perceived mismatch with their intense work culture expectations.
Full Experience
One of Auquan's founders initially reached out to me on LinkedIn after seeing my resume, expressing their interest in hiring Python domain experts to significantly boost Auquan's impact. I was keen on the opportunity and requested to expedite the process, which led to an introductory call where we discussed my experience and Auquan's vision.
The interview process comprised five rounds. The first was a take-home assignment, a medium-difficulty problem that I had to solve in Python within an hour, closely related to their core work. I successfully cleared this round.
Following this, all subsequent interviews were face-to-face. Round 2 was a problem-solving session where I tackled a hard, graph-based problem within an hour. It took me a considerable amount of time, but with some hints from the interviewer, I managed to arrive at a satisfactory solution. This advanced me to the next stage.
Round 3 was another problem-solving round with a senior employee. The question was a medium-difficulty 2D matrix manipulation problem, again very pertinent to their problem space. This round went smoothly, and I felt comfortable with the interviewer's approach.
Round 4 was a pairing session with the CTO, lasting about two hours. The core task was to implement a new feature and integrate it directly into their existing Python codebase. I successfully coded the solution, and the CTO seemed pleased. Towards the end of this round, we had a 15-minute cultural fit discussion where I encountered a particularly unusual question about my work-life philosophy. I was asked to choose between living to work, working just to make a living, or being in the middle. I chose the middle option, explaining my commitment to my roles and willingness for occasional long hours. However, it became clear the CTO was looking for someone who "lives to work," expecting 24/7 availability and the willingness to cancel personal plans for work, which was a significant red flag for me.
Finally, Round 5 was a cultural fit discussion with the product manager and CEO, covering typical situation-based and past experience questions. I believe this round also went well.
The next day, HR called to inform me of the final verdict: I was rejected. They stated that while my technical knowledge was great, they were specifically looking to fill a single senior position and might reconsider me in the future with more experience. This was quite frustrating, as I felt my time was wasted, given that the questions were more suited for SDE1 roles, and they should have assessed the seniority requirement earlier in the process. Overall, it was a very disappointing experience with Auquan.
Interview Questions (2)
I was given a problem statement to implement a new feature and integrate it directly into Auquan's existing codebase. This involved writing several Python functions and ensuring their seamless integration.
The interviewer asked me to choose which category best describes my work-life philosophy: (a) There are people who live to work, and their entire life is their career. (b) There are people who work just to make a living. (c) In the middle of both.