Topaz Labs Interview Questions
& Process

It was a good experience overall. Started with a phone interview that included a case study. Then there were 4 more rounds with the Director of Product and the AI CEO of Engineering. It was mostly behavioral questions about my experience, but the Product case study was challenging, and the AI part involved some tough brain teasers. I didn't get the role because I was a nervous wreck, but that's okay.

The whole process had 4 rounds, and I unfortunately didn't make it past the third. The initial chat with HR and the first technical round went smoothly. They were pretty responsive and helpful. But, the second technical interview with the engineering lead was a bit of a downer. The interviewer didn't even turn his camera on and seemed totally disengaged, which is kind of a basic expectation for an interview. Also, I was hoping for more back-and-forth on the system design question, but the interviewer was really quiet, like he was doing something else entirely during our discussion.

Applied online. First, a call with the recruiter to check salary expectations, skills fit, and general alignment. Second, a 60-minute DSA call with an engineer. I got asked about LRU cache, which had three different levels, and the criteria changed each time. Third, a 30-35 minute call with the team lead where we talked about past projects, company culture, potential work, and what challenges need tackling. The final round was onsite, where I was flown to the office. I had two hours to build an app given an API. I also met with the team, including a PM, lead, and another software engineer. We had a team lunch. The overall experience was positive; the recruiter was helpful, and the team and work seemed appealing. Unfortunately, I wasn't selected. The feedback mentioned needing to improve my product thinking and team communication.

It started with a 30 min call with the lead recruiter, which was basically an informal get-to-know-you chat. After that, they gave me a writing exercise to present in the next interview. Then, I had a 1-hour zoom meeting with the Operations Manager. We talked about my background, and I presented the exercise I did, explaining my process. The 3rd interview was another 1-hour zoom call, this time with the QA manager. It was a technical interview where I had to answer and solve more exercise questions on the spot. The final stage involved 2 on-site interviews at their office. First, I met with the CEO for an hour. He delved into my background and past projects and then asked me to suggest software improvements on the spot. The last interview was with the operations manager again, a 30-minute session where I tackled another writing exercise focused on solving customer problems. Overall, it was a good experience and seemed like a great place to work, but the whole process, especially with the significant effort I put into this lengthy interview, left me feeling strung along.