Praetorian Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process spanned nearly two months. It began with an initial recruiter call where we had a good conversation. Following that was a personality assessment and a culture video. The personality test asked questions to gauge one's 'personality make-up' and 'thinking style', which I found unnecessary. The CEO's culture video detailed his journey and leadership philosophy; it was informative but raised concerns given the intense workload described. After submitting my responses to the video's questions, there was a long silence, prompting me to follow up. The recruiter then requested my availability for a 4-hour interview loop, scheduled over a month later. The assessments within this loop were conducted using their CYMPIRE system. During the logic puzzle section, technical issues required the interviewer to read the questions aloud. I managed the puzzles as best I could, though they aren't my strong suit. The code review and web application challenges went well, and I was able to solve the reverse engineering problem despite being a bit rusty. A week later, I received an email stating they wouldn't be proceeding, but it included helpful feedback. Reflecting on conversations with colleagues about the company's culture, I feel I may have avoided a difficult situation and will look for opportunities elsewhere.

I had a recruiter screen first, then a call with the VP of sales about GTM and marketing, then a call with the CTO about domain and customer expertise, and finally two calls with the CEO. The recruiter was super knowledgeable and professional. The VP of Sales was great, technically sound from a sales leadership perspective, and we had a really open chat. The CTO interview was a refreshing two-way street, he was candid and passionate about the mission. Meeting the CEO, Nathan, was awesome; he's a clear leader – driven and smart. We were totally aligned on approach, outcomes, and the drive to execute. It was the most professional but also the warmest interview process I've experienced.

I went through several rounds for a Software Engineer role, starting with some general phone calls, then behavioral questions. There were technical questions about my approach to testing and coding standards. Some easy puzzles were given, and I was told I did great. The process included an interview with the CEO and meeting multiple team members. It seemed like a good fit, and the team was open. They acknowledged that you don't need to know everything, and it felt like a promising connection... but then I was ghosted after all that time.

Applied through indeed posting then direct site, the hiring manager reached out shortly after to set up an initial screening with another member of the team. Great interviewer, set a comfortable tone for discussion, and enjoyed learning about the opportunity. Received a personality assessment link (Only 2 questions). A few days later the hiring manager scheduled a 1:1 video interview. Hiring manager was very friendly and provided detailed overview. Following week interviewed with 2 members of direct team. Interview was tense and rushed, neither explained what their actual roles were and kept circling back to needing someone that can handle inconsistency and the start up culture. The interviewers mentioned they worked together previously and how close they were. I felt like I was interviewing to become their friend. Even with the unfavorable last interview, I was still interested in the role based on first 2 calls and followed up with hiring manager. Didn’t receive a response and anticipate an automatic rejection if any correspondence. Overall not a horrible candidate experience, hopefully they hire someone they didn’t previously work with or have a personal relationship with.