Seated Interview Questions
& Process

The first step was a screening with HR, who asked about my prior experience with a specific tool. I mentioned I hadn't, but they advanced me to the next stage with the COO. The COO revisited the tool question, and after I confirmed my lack of direct experience (though I'd used similar tools), she ended the interview abruptly. I received a generic rejection email afterward without any explanation or apology. If this tool is critical, it should be a qualification on the application, and their communication process needs significant improvement.

It started with a recruiter/HR call, pretty standard, but they didn't share salary or benefits info. Then I had a really great call with the COO where we talked about Seated, the challenges in scaling legitimacy and defining the role, and also long-term worries about profitability and competition. After that, I had a good call with the CS VP about our bootstrap approach, Stripe disputes, SMB strategy, and pivoting away from past failures. In the end, it was a flat rejection with no feedback – wouldn't recommend interviewing here.

This startup had an excessively long interview process. It was supposed to be five rounds: a recruiter call, a meeting with the CEO, and a homework assignment/presentation with the hiring manager and a senior AE. It was weird because the presentation was the first time I met the HM, with no intro or standard questions. I was told there would be two more rounds if I passed the presentation: a one-on-one with the HM and another with a senior leader. I didn't get past the presentation, which was disappointing as I thought I did well and have a strong network in hospitality. The CEO and HM seemed nice, but the vibe felt a bit like a 'bro culture'. The recruiter was also difficult to deal with – unresponsive to emails and just sent calendar invites without confirmation. It was strange scheduling interviews this way, especially without calendar access. Then, after everything, I received an automated rejection email. It felt like they weren't serious about hiring me. I guess I dodged a bullet.

The recruiter contacted me after I applied through my school's portal. First, I had a call with the recruiter to discuss the company. Then, an engineer did a screener call where we worked through a LeetCode problem. After that, I had a virtual onsite that lasted 4.5 hours and involved meeting 6 people, including engineers and the hiring manager. During the onsite, I was asked 3 LeetCode-style questions and several behavioral questions. Although I didn't get the job, I enjoyed interviewing with them and meeting the team.