Focal Systems Interview Questions
& Process

The first step was a mix of HR and technical. The HR part was just introductions. The technical part was pretty cool. In the HR part, the interviewer checked your theoretical knowledge by comparing your answers to what the tech team prepared. For example, if you put two lights on the sides of a roller, the shadow could be a square or a circle. If they ask about the shadow shape, both answers are technically right. I think the point of the technical part is to see if your answers match what they expect. You could be right in your thinking, but your answer might not be the same as the 'spreadsheet' answer. If you do well in the technical part of the HR interview, the next step in the technical section is live LeetCode coding for the rest of the time.

They really seemed to have an aggressive vibe going on, from the get-go. They were super clear that they expect people to put in at least 50 hours a week, minimum. Like, hardcore culture, they said, similar to places like Wall Street or Tesla. The CEO, even though he seemed friendly, was really intense with his questions. And their company values? Way too many, kinda confusing, and maybe even conflicting. When I pointed that out, he got pretty defensive. The CEO should be the biggest champion of the values, right? If he can't handle a little feedback on that stuff, it's not a great sign for how things work there.

The interview started with a quick call with the COO, then I met the CEO for an hour, followed by 30-minute meetings with four team members. References were requested next, but thankfully they weren't contacted. Then, I spoke with an external advisor. The next step was a company-wide presentation, and after that, a data test in Python involving coding and analysis. Since I haven't coded in 20 years and never in Python, I spent hours on it and sought help from a Google Python programmer. He suggested adding more instructions, noting it would take him hours to figure out the libraries. I admitted my lack of technical skills in Python. They said they'd send a different test in the new year, but instead, they informed me that other executives had passed the test and I wouldn't be moving forward. This company seems to be composed of young Stanford friends who are smart but lack experience in transitioning from tech to product. They've given each other 'C' titles and seem to be duplicating skills rather than adding to their executive team. My advice: review all 'tests' before providing references. They are currently piloting hardware on Raspberry Pi and have a long way to go.

The interview process was straightforward with a few technical questions. They asked some questions about my resume and the rest were behavioral. The second round was with the manager, and they only asked about my availability and how soon I could start.