Spring Activator People Operations Manager interview questions

Email correspondence polite. I received a response/ invitation to interview after sending a follow-up email. My impression was that the interview timeline was not reflective of the job ad which stated they needed this position filled by 15 January or before. I liked the informal interview format and deep-dived into case-specifics. I felt as if we were brainstorming solutions already. I could ask questions at any time. I understood that I would get a response the "next week" and have a second interview. This did not happen. I received a response 2 weeks after the interview that they are moving forwards with another candidate. I also noted that the job ad was removed the evening after my interview.