Kraken Digital Asset Exchange Interview Questions
& Process

It was a waste of time and effort. They gave me a big assessment to complete in 48 hours, which took much longer. After putting in a lot of effort, I was rejected with no explanation or code review. I asked the recruiter for feedback, and they gave some feedback based on their own perspective, but I wanted to discuss my approach and why I made certain decisions. Their judgment criteria were poor, and they didn't value my time and effort. I would avoid this if you don't want to waste time, or at least agree on an interview beforehand to discuss the assessment, whether they liked the code or not.

The whole thing was pretty professional and organized. It kicked off with a recruiter chat about my background and if I'd be a good fit. Then, I had a 45-minute chat with the hiring manager about my experience and if I'd vibe with the team. Next up was a 45-minute interview with someone at the same level, focusing more on the nitty-gritty skills and actual examples from my past work. After that, there was a home assignment, a business case study relevant to the job. They laid out the task clearly, telling me what to focus on but leaving the format up to me. I had 7 days to complete it, which felt like enough time. The last stage was discussing this case study with the hiring manager and two senior folks. They already knew my work, so we just jumped into talking about it instead of a formal presentation. The questions were about the finer points, my reasoning, and the trade-offs involved, and then some more questions about my experience and if I'd fit the culture. After this last interview, it took about a week to hear back about the decision and another week for the offer to come through. Oh, and the recruiter was great, keeping me in the loop with updates and feedback all the way.

First up was a chat with Talent Acquisition, they gave me the lowdown on the gig and what was coming next. Then, a deep dive with the Hiring Manager, we talked a lot about my background, skills, and how I’d be a good fit. After that, I interviewed with some important people from around the company, they wanted to see how I think and work with others. I also had to do a case study, like a home task, about launching a new product/service and how I'd manage it as the product owner. It was a bit open-ended, so I had to make some assumptions and show I could think analytically. The last step was a final call with a Head of a Product Unit, where we discussed strategy, ownership, and the long-term plan. They got back to me super fast, sometimes the same day. My TA partner was really on the ball and helpful, even when they were on holiday. It was a really collaborative and organized process overall. Each part made sense and showed they were pros. I’d say it was one of the best interview experiences, even without an offer.

The interview process began with an initial HR screening where we talked about my background, salary expectations, and the job's main duties. Next, I had a conversational meeting with the hiring manager. We discussed the crypto world, and he evaluated my grasp of the market through natural conversation. He also explained his vision for the role and the company, plus the specific problems this job would tackle. The third interview was with another head of operations and was more about practical execution, assessing my ability to turn strategy into results. Then came a take-home case study with three business strategy questions, covering both external (crypto ecosystem, macro trends) and internal (operational challenges) views. Finally, I presented my case study to a group of stakeholders (a senior director, a principal, and the hiring manager) in a panel format, which led to a discussion about my recommendations and strategic thinking.