I was invited to complete a coding challenge as part of the interview process. The instructions mentioned that after successful completion and evaluation, candidates would move forward to the next rounds. The challenge involved implementing a TLS client and solving a Proof-of-Work (PoW) task that required generating a SHA-1 hash with 9 leading hexadecimal zeros. It was a technically demanding task that required careful optimization and computational effort. I took the challenge very seriously and spent about five days working on it before successfully completing it. However, it has now been more than four weeks since submission and I have not received any acknowledgment, feedback, or update on the next steps. I also sent multiple follow-up emails to HR but unfortunately did not receive any response. While technical challenges are a normal part of engineering interviews, candidates invest a significant amount of time and effort into completing them. A simple acknowledgment, feedback, or even a rejection email would go a long way in maintaining a professional and respectful candidate experience. I hope the company improves its communication process with candidates in the future.