Sequoia Interview Questions
& Process

So at Sequoia Group, first they looked at my resume, then I had to do an online coding test. After that, there was a technical interview where they asked me about data structures and system design stuff. Finally, I had an HR round to check how well I communicate, work with others, and if I'd fit into the company culture.

Recruiter reached out over LinkedIn. The interview process was a bit messy, with initial rounds getting rescheduled multiple times. I got good feedback from each round and was eventually called in for the final HR round. We talked about company culture, and then she asked about my expected compensation. I shared my expectation and reminded her that I'd already told her this before the first round, and only proceeded after confirming it was within their budget. After the HR round, there was no communication. When I tried to contact the recruiter, they just said they were moving with another candidate, with no specific reason or feedback despite me asking. This was really off-putting, especially after investing time (while working) and passing all rounds, including the final HR one where we discussed expectations. Good companies communicate transparently and give feedback to those who reach the final stage. They should at least say why I wasn't considered at the final stage, or if compensation was the issue (which they didn't mention initially). It was a total waste of time.

I found the process lacking and unprofessional for a company of this size. I was contacted by an in house recruiter for the role. The process seemed straightforward: phone screen with the recruiter, then a 30 minute call with the hiring manager. The interview with the hiring manager was very one sided- the HM used the entire time we had to ask questions of me but did not save any time for me to ask her any questions. The HM mentioned she had a hard stop when I asked if she had time for my questions, so I was not able to further assess the role/team. Fast forward 3 weeks and not a single word from the recruiter - completely ghosted. I never ended up following up with them either since I accepted another role at a different company. The whole experience was off putting and as a result, I would not seek out future roles here.

I went through two technical rounds. The first one was fine, but the second round was weird. The interviewer, a senior engineer (staff level), seemed to not know about Progressive JPEGs, thinking they only worked with React. He also only knew about module federation for multi-frontend architecture and didn't understand other options. It felt like the staff engineers interviewing didn't have enough technical knowledge. I don't think it's worth your time. You probably won't get past round two, and even if you do, their poor decisions in the debrief will likely cause problems. I got one coding question in each round and finished it quickly (12-15 mins), but I still got rejected. It seems like feedback from 2022 for frontend devs is similar. Pro tip for candidates: Only talk about module federation for microfrontends, or they might just reject you. For leadership: Maybe try AI summaries of interviews. The insights could show you where interviewers need to improve. I also wondered if unconscious bias, maybe gender-related, affected my rejection, which could explain the company's low diversity. Just something to think about. Hope this helps candidates and leadership.