Braintree Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The interview had 4 parts. First was a knowledge session about my general work. For me, they asked about database design and some security terms. This might change for other people, they just want to see if you can talk technically. Then, there was a pairing session where we improved the application code I submitted. There was also a small culture session, which was during lunch, basically a casual chat about how I work with people. Finally, a design session where I had to design a ticketing app.

The first step was a recruiter call that was mostly about getting to know me and asking about my experience with their SDK. Then I had to do a programming project that I had a week to finish. It wasn't super hard but a good dev would shine. Make sure to test everything and set it up like it's gonna be a bigger thing. I thought my solution was a bit too much for a simple command line app, but they really liked it. After that, I had a tech phone screen with two engineers who wanted to check my technical depth. They mainly asked about my past projects and any difficulties I faced. The day after, they told me they were moving on without me, saying I stayed too high-level in my project explanations, which worried them. If you're like me and need to draw things to explain them, maybe ask to use an online whiteboard for the tech screen.

The interview process is long, but in depth. It starts with a phone screen, then a technical challenge, a technical interview, and a full day of onsite interviews. I'll focus on the onsite day itself. It begins with a quick tour and a chat with your recruiter in a cool space. All your onsite interviews are with two other Braintree engineers, which was a great experience because the conversations went in many interesting directions. The first session is a technical interview where you dive deep into past projects and development practices like testing. This was my favorite part, seeing how much we valued the same things. Make sure to review your resume and be ready to discuss problems you liked solving and features you enjoyed building. Next is lunch, which is their way of assessing cultural fit. While they're likely evaluating you throughout, this is more about casual conversation and getting to know you. The third session is a system design interview using a whiteboard. It was practical and covered many topics. It was a bit uncomfortable for me as it was my first whiteboard interview, but the engineers are there to help you succeed, not to trip you up. Practice system design and be ready to talk about building and scaling issues. The fourth session is a pairing session where you extend the code from your take-home challenge. We finished the additions, but I unfortunately got a bad migraine due to the lighting, which made it hard to focus and led to simple mistakes. By the end, discussing design decisions was difficult due to the pain. Finally, I had a brief meeting with two managers. Again, they were open to questions, but my pain limited what I could ask. Overall, I enjoyed the process. It's long and tiring but aimed at finding quality engineers who fit the company. I'm disappointed with my results, but I appreciate the feedback. My migraine issues in the pairing session were evident in the feedback. Remember to bring migraine medication if you're prone to them. Give it your best, and if it's a fit, great. If not, it's just not a mutual fit. Learn from it and good luck!