The first call with recruiter is more than fine, the next call is with VP of Engg, pretty knowledgeable guy, it went well. The following is a system design and it was a disaster. As someone who has good experience with system design and has cracked quite a lot of them in the recent times, I can tell you they got it wrong. The session felt quite different from what I typically experience at this stage. Originally both the VP of Engineering and the Lead Developer were expected, but only the Lead Developer joined, and there were no introductions until I suggested we start with them. Even then there was some hesitation. The first few minutes were spent trying to reach the VP and clarifying what the interviewer expected from the session. He also questioned why the pair programming stage hadn’t been completed earlier. When we moved into the system design portion, the format felt quite rigid, with limited conversation or collaboration. The problem statement was described vaguely, and as I tried to clarify requirements, new elements were added midway without much framing. The interview also ran over by more than thirty minutes into my next meeting. I stayed well beyond the scheduled slot, yet was told it still wasn’t enough time, with further requests to extend the session even after I mentioned I had another meeting. I later understood that the interviewer already felt that thirty minutes would be insufficient before we began, but this wasn’t communicated upfront. Usually, system design interviews run for around an hour with time allocated for design, clarification, and a short wrap-up, but that structure wasn’t present here. Overall, the interaction lacked the conversational tone and mutual engagement that usually helps both sides assess fit.