Strava Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process felt like a typical Bay Area experience, starting with a positive, altruistic vibe from the recruiter that quickly shifted to a negative, judgmental, and dismissive tone during the hiring manager interview. The recruiter was very friendly, and we had a great rapport, leading to scheduling an interview with the hiring manager. However, the hiring manager interview seemed rushed, possibly because he thought we only had 30 minutes instead of the scheduled 45. He asked two questions, and it felt like he was annoyed that the interview wasn't over yet. The only question that felt meaningful implied that without a specific experience, I would be incapable of performing the job.

So the interview process at Strava has about four parts to it, really to see if you're a good fit technically and also if you'll fit in with the team. First, you chat with the recruiter, then you talk with the hiring manager about your background, experience, and if the role is right for you. After that, there's a coding test to check out your analytical and problem-solving skills. The last part is talking to someone on the team about how you work with others, communicate, and how you'd contribute to the team.

I talked to the recruiter first, then had a nice chat with the hiring manager about a week after that. Two weeks later, they sent over a project prompt which was supposed to be done and presented to a panel in a week. The prompt was focused on the 'how' for a new feature launch and should have taken 2-4 hours. At the end, the most senior person on the panel asked 'what' questions about promotional activities, which felt a bit off from the prompt's focus on 'how'. I answered, but didn't go into much detail on those aspects in the project because the 'how' was emphasized. The job is still open, so I'm guessing there's a disconnect between the job ad and what the stakeholders actually want.

The interview process started with an initial HR call, followed by 4 interviews with different team managers and then 2 wrap-up calls, totaling 7 calls. Unfortunately, Strava did not provide any feedback post-interview. After the 7 calls, I received a generic rejection email. When I asked HR for more feedback on how to improve, they stated they couldn't provide it. The interviewers were friendly, and I had a good experience personally, but the company's handling of feedback is unprofessional and tainted the overall experience. In my view, this is an area for improvement. Receiving an automated rejection after investing time in 7 calls reflects poorly on the company's values.