instalilyAI | Software Engineer | Interview Experience
Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Reject
Difficulty: High
Interview Process
The interview process included a 15-minute phone call with a junior software engineer who was an alumnus. During this call, the interviewer asked about the characteristics they were looking for in a candidate, and I felt pleased when they mentioned they were looking for someone like me.
This was followed by a 48-hour take-home project where I was tasked with creating an AI agent chat application. A significant portion of time was spent writing a web scraper to gather data from an e-commerce website. This was quite time-consuming, but I worked overnight and submitted what I believed to be a perfect solution.
The final stage was a 5-hour onsite interview in NYC. The first four hours involved developing another AI application, which again required web scraping and processing data to create a full-stack application. The last hour was dedicated to presenting my work and answering questions. I felt my demo went exceptionally well; I not only completed the project but also had time to prepare slides. I was able to answer all the questions posed during the Q&A session. However, I missed the opportunity to engage with office staff during this limited time, which I suspect was part of the evaluation process.
I later had another 15-minute phone call with a founding engineer, which I initially thought was a final decision call regarding the offer. I answered their questions well, but was surprised when, after three questions, they asked if I had any questions for them. I was left confused, especially since this was presented as a final interview stage.
After a week, I received a rejection.
Technical Questions
- AI Insights (Web Scraping, Natural Language Processing, Frontend and Backend Development)
Tips & Insights
This company has a challenging work environment. The CEO is from India, and the team consists mostly of junior employees from prestigious schools with big titles. The pay is significantly lower than the average salary for an SDE in NYC, requiring onsite work and expecting late hours. The interview process is time-consuming and costly, with only a minimal reimbursement for expenses. I would advise potential candidates to consider these factors carefully before applying.