Ooyala Interview Questions
& Process

After my resume was screened, a recruiter called me for about 30 minutes to assess my experience and see if I was a good fit for the role. Then, I was passed to the GM for a telephonic interview where they checked if I understood the role and how my experience related to it. The recruiter then contacted me to move forward to the next round with the VP of Professional Services in the US. This 20-minute call focused on my specific experiences with "Partner Integration", "Vendor Selection", and "Ad Tech". A few days later, I was notified about the next series of rounds, which were supposed to be in the Ooyala office in Singapore but ended up being telephonic due to travel. First, I spoke with the VP from Singapore for about an hour. There weren't many direct questions; they asked about my background and then brought up concerns about my lack of video management domain experience and pricing experience in the video industry. While not explicitly saying I wasn't a fit, they explained the role's expectations. The VP even offered to let me visit the Ooyala office regardless of my decision to join and gave me their personal mobile number, which was a first for me and felt a bit weird. Following this, there was a 30-minute interview with a Solutions Architect, which involved a series of simple questions. The next day, the final interview was with senior management in Argentina, which was tough and lasted about 40 minutes instead of the planned 20. It consisted of open-ended questions testing scenarios, personality, and attitude, requiring me to draw heavily on my experience, which I felt confident answering. Throughout this process, the recruiter was very helpful, ensuring I was comfortable despite early morning calls and smoothly rescheduling interviews when needed, emphasizing how valuable my application was. A week later, HR informed me that the role had changed due to business needs and they were no longer looking for a Solutions Architect. I felt the company didn't respect my time and effort, and their lack of clarity on the position was unprofessional for a supposed fast-growing startup. The VP from Singapore's interview gave me a non-fit feeling, as they seemed to be looking for someone more like an "Account Manager", which wasn't reflected in the job description. I believe regional teams should have more authority to interview candidates first, rather than involving senior management globally and potentially wasting everyone's time.

I had an initial call with the Director of Engineering. Then, there was a technical phone interview focusing on coding and algorithms. It was challenging. The recruiter contacted me immediately after the phone screen to inform me about the onsite interview. The onsite involved meeting four engineers and the hiring manager. The interviews covered system design, algorithms, and coding. It was a collaborative experience, with interviewers working through problems alongside me. The hiring manager explained Ooyala's technology, business, challenges, and future direction, and answered my questions. The recruiter was very helpful throughout the process, efficient, friendly, and responsive. I received the offer the day after the onsite interview. It was my best interview experience.

Had a first call to see if I was a fit, then went onsite. The onsite was with a PM, 2 SAs, a TAM and someone from sales. They seemed more interested in how I could bring value going forward, using my past experience just to check I knew my stuff. They were all super experienced and knew the industry well, so it was an interview where you had to know the answer, couldn't just wing it. After that, I had two Skype interviews with people from the US office. The final interview was face-to-face with the person I'd be reporting to, and we actually did it at the pub!

I submitted my resume online and was called by a Manager within two weeks. We spoke for under 20 minutes about my previous jobs, and I was invited to interview with two team members. They were upfront about the role, which I liked. I felt good about the interview but wasn't sure if my background matched their current needs. I got a call within the week for a second round of in-person interviews. I met with 4 team members, each more impressive than the last. They seemed passionate, smart, and happy to be at this innovative company. The next step was a group interview with potential teammates. This was a coffee chat, really showing they value cultural fit and hiring smart people. The whole process was one of the best I've had. Even though I didn't get the job, one teammate called me personally to let me know. They said they enjoyed meeting me and think I might be a fit later, just not for this specific role. I enjoyed everything and hope to work for this innovative company in the future.