I applied online. I interviewed at First Principles
Interview
The interview process began in a professional and organized way, with clear explanations of the company’s workflow and expectations. The conversations were engaging and focused on collaboration in uncertain environments, fast decision-making, and weekly delivery cycles. This reflects the company’s fast-paced, sprint-driven model.
As the final step, I was asked to complete a design challenge with a suggested 4-hour time limit. I submitted my work and received confirmation of receipt, but never heard back afterward. No feedback or closure was provided.
After that point, I noticed suspicious traffic patterns on my personal website and began to research the company further. I found no legal or corporate information on their website, no verifiable client names in their case studies, and a general lack of transparency around their operations.
While the process started with promise, the overall experience left me with doubts about the company’s legitimacy. Even if this impression is incorrect, any company asking for unpaid work should at the very least provide transparency, follow-up, and respect for candidates’ time.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
One of the questions was: "How do you collaborate with technical teams in ambiguous or high-uncertainty contexts?"
Overall, the questions were very focused on working methods, especially design sprints and very tight deadlines, often close to a weekly cadence. This fast, delivery-driven rhythm seems to be a core part of how they position themselves commercially.
