Shindig Company Interview Questions
& Process

I met directly with the CEO, who showed up late. After 5 minutes, I called him asking if we were still on (per the invite instructions) and he then joined me on the platform to meet. It became clear within a minute that he was more interested in gathering competitive intelligence than wanting to interview me for the role. He hammered on asking me why other people had left my current company when I mentioned turnover. He asked me how much money I make there. When I didn't answer him, he revised the question to how much I was looking to earn. He told me he felt my current company was "infringing on his patents". He asked me if he should take my company more seriously. Very few questions were actually about me and my work, and as soon as I answered, he would pivot back to another inappropriate question or comment about my current company. I am beyond disgusted.

I applied online and got an email the next day to set up an in-person interview. The bad vibes hit you the moment you walk in the door (as did the overwhelming smell of couple hour old lunch???). There were only about a half dozen people in the office and it was deafeningly silent. The kind of silence you find in a room full of small children who were just scolded for talking during a test. One person didn’t even have a proper desk. She was seated at a shared hi-top table and sitting on an aluminum bar stool. The CEO came over to get me, but didn’t really introduce himself. After an awkward pause I extended my hand and he shook it. Then came the actual interview where he asked a few cursory questions about my past experience. Oddly, he neglected to ask me any questions about the role that I was in the longest. After about five minutes he was done asking me questions. I then began asking him questions about the company and product. All told I think we spoke for MAYBE 10 minutes. I waited in the “lobby” longer. Oh, did I mention that I took the train in from NJ on the same day we had a freak April snowstorm? There was a complete disregard for my time.

The CEO seemed unusually angry and vengeful, so I didn't have high expectations for the interview. I knew someone who knew a former employee. After waiting nearly half an hour in a waiting area that looked like a garage sale, I was led to the interview room. The work environment seemed strangely quiet and unhappy. I asked questions about the company's leadership, turnover, and operational issues, including why there wasn't a CTO or PM despite good funding, what happened to the previous CTO, the history of CTOs, employee departure rates, the CEO being the only interviewer, police involvement at the office, intimidating workers, payment practices, the authenticity of Glassdoor reviews, investor awareness of the company's operations, and the outdated product design. I was not planning to accept an offer unless it was unusually high, and it wasn't, offering 15% less than I could get at a normal big company. It seems like a place where someone with average skills could get an offer if they are good at interviewing, and could be a way to make money while looking for a real company, provided they have a high mental tolerance for the boss.

The interview was very technical and well-planned. I had an in-person interview two days after a technical screening. The team seemed really motivated from the start.