SmugMug Interview Questions
& Process

Went six rounds of interviews, which was a little excessive. In the end wasn't selected and didn't receive much feedback, but at least they were transparent with the process. Company is fully remote so would consider applying to again.

I kicked off the interview process the first week of August. It began with a video screener, followed by a video call with the hiring team, and then wrapped up with four more interviews with different people from the team, some at my level and some from other departments. Things seemed to go well from my perspective during these interviews, but the timeline they gave me initially started to slip. They had originally said they wanted someone to start before the end of September and mentioned an onsite meeting with the wider team. However, the six interviews, which I consider three rounds but involving six different people, were spaced out about a week apart right from the start. By the time of the last interview in mid-September, it was clear that a start date before the end of September wasn't going to happen, despite what was initially promised. They didn't communicate at all that this start date might be delayed, which was a bit of a red flag for me. When I saw the interviews were a week apart, I figured either they were interviewing way too many people for the job or they weren't that serious about me. As someone who's been on hiring teams, I usually try to finish up with candidates I'm interested in within two weeks, not five to six weeks, so that was red flag number one. I was available pretty much any day, but whenever I checked their scheduling calendar, the available slots were always 6-7 days apart. Finally, after my last interview on a Wednesday, they said I'd hear back the next week. That was another red flag because if I really wanted to hire someone, I wouldn't wait past the weekend to tell them, I'd let them know by Friday evening so they could have the weekend to consider the offer. I suspect they just kept me as a backup over the weekend in case their first choice didn't work out, maybe because they could get someone cheaper. I do wish the company well and I did enjoy talking with the six people I interviewed with, but I'm understandably disappointed with how things ended. After six weeks and having recently been laid off, I really needed this job and was hopeful, which I made clear throughout the process. Honestly, when you interview with six different people over six weeks, even if you think you nailed every interview, it only takes one person having a bad day to mess things up. I think that might have played a part here too. I've asked the company for feedback, and it's been over 24 hours with no response.

It started with a phone screening from the recruiter, then a video call with the COO. The final stage was an onsite interview lasting 4 hours which included one-on-one meetings with the COO, CFO, CMO, and CEO, followed by lunch. The process was good overall, though there was a delay in getting feedback because the CEO was out of town. They had to wait for him to return to make a decision. It was a bit nerve-wracking. I didn't get the job, but it was a positive experience. Everyone at SmugMug seemed really nice and genuine, and their company culture is clearly important to them.

SmugMug really cares about culture and values, so expect values and culture questions from the very first phone screen with the head of HR all the way through your final 1:1 with the founder. Make sure you know what you stand for before you apply! The interview process was structured as follows: First, a 30-minute phone screen with the VP of HR/People. Second, a 60-minute phone screen with the hiring manager/COO. Third, an on-site lunch and a 90-minute meeting with the COO/CEO. Fourth, a 6-hour on-site interview with peers from various departments like marketing, engineering, and data. Fifth, a 6-hour on-site interview with direct reports and a 1:1 with the CEO. Everyone I met was great, easy to talk to, and genuinely interested in me as a person, not just a candidate. Our shared love for photography made it easy to connect instantly, as everyone shared that passion. About 10 days after the interviews, I had a follow-up call with the VP of HR who informed me that they had chosen another candidate with more relevant experience. They offered some feedback on my interview and wished me well in my job search. I really liked the company and am keeping an eye out for future openings at both SmugMug and Flickr.