Coffee Meets Bagel Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

So the interview process had 5 stages. First was an HR call, which was super chill and quick, just to see if I was a good fit. Then I talked to the Backend Engineering Manager, who asked a mix of personal and professional questions. After that, there was a coding test in Python, where we worked through a problem with the interviewer - it was totally doable in the time given and they gave good feedback. Stage 4 was a long, three-hour block with three different sessions covering various things. All the interviewers seemed engaged and the questions were fair, but I can't say more because of an NDA. Finally, there was a two-hour block with two more sessions, one with the CTO and one with the CEO. The CTO session was very technical, focusing on my understanding of technologies and how I'd handle technical and team issues. The CEO session was more about personality and her views on the company and industry. Overall, meeting the team was great - they were all smart and nice. But the whole process, spread over a month, made it a bit much. Even though I really liked the team and product, I got rejected for something from the 4th session, even after making it to the 5th. I get that it was probably a close call, and they needed a reason. I don't hold any grudges, but it was a bummer to go through so much over a long time and get rejected. My suggestion would be to maybe combine stages 2, 3, and 4 into a shorter 2-3 hour block. The HR, CTO, and CEO chats were really valuable, so I wouldn't change those.

This was the worst interview experience ever, lasting only 30 minutes. I had my email and other apps off, but after 5 minutes of waiting, I checked my email to find a new Zoom link because of technical issues. They couldn't see my video, so I was told to take my time fixing it. But someone else had booked the room right after, leaving me with only about 10 minutes to code a problem that was too complicated for the level I was applying for. There was no time for questions at the end. I was just starting to figure out the problem when we had to stop because someone else needed the room. It all felt really rushed at the end. Now I understand why other reviews are like this.

It's multiple rounds: first, a cultural fit/behavioral chat, then a general pair-programming coding session, followed by API design and product design interviews. If that all goes well, you'll have more calls with the CTO and CEO. By then, the technical part of the interviews is pretty much done, so you can just be yourself. Everyone's really friendly, and cultural fit is pretty important.