Cerebral (CA) Interview Questions
& Process

The entire interview process was conducted remotely. You'll need to record yourself during a mock interview, which will then be reviewed. Additionally, you are required to submit your theoretical orientation, your motivations for entering this field, and a summary of your strengths.

The interview process was very fast and efficient. It started with an online application and resume screening. Then, a quick phone interview with the recruiter. The first and second rounds happened back-to-back. After the interviews, I got an assessment task which I finished quickly. The final interview with an executive was scheduled fast, and reference checks were done at the same time to speed things up. I got the job offer soon after the last interview, allowing time for negotiation and acceptance. The whole thing didn't take long, showing they have a streamlined hiring process.

The interview process felt very transactional and one-sided, more like a monologue than a dialogue, which was surprising given it's for an executive role. The interviewers asked all the questions, and there wasn't enough time for me to ask mine, plus the interviews were only 30 minutes long. The main part was a thought exercise where I had to do some free consulting for them, but I couldn't even finish presenting my full deck. It was weird because when they asked a question about their own data, the team didn't know the answer. I followed their program for the thought exercise and essentially gave them free consulting since they didn't move forward with me. I wouldn't interview with them again because they didn't seem organized.

I was referred to Cerebral by a friend. After an initial screening, I went through 3 interviews and completed a case study. Typically, Head of Product roles involve 8+ interviews and extended discussions with the CEO, but this process felt much shorter. The interview questions were quite superficial and scattered. The case study itself was well-thought-out and well-structured, though it was a bit unusual to be granted guest access to their Jira board; however, I appreciated the transparency. After the case study, the CEO called me late in the evening to indicate they were leaning towards an offer, pending reference checks. His responses to my follow-up questions about their defensible strengths and unit economics were surprisingly weak for a CEO who had secured funding from top-tier VCs. During requested follow-up calls with some of his directs, it seemed they were being very cautious in their responses about the CEO. My references mentioned that the CEO pressed them hard on hypothetical scenarios, like whether I'd answer a late-night call, and questioned my work ethic. Ultimately, I didn't receive an offer, which, considering recent developments, might be for the best.