The interview went well. The project manager repeatedly told me I was the best candidate, but the engineering team leader was quiet. She mentioned she previously worked on the reporting team and asked some unrelated technical questions, like how to improve search results in our RAG-based knowledge base. I answered honestly. I identified a missing relationship between tables in a technical question, and the product manager mentioned I was the only one who noticed. They also wanted to understand an app's usage and frequency, and I suggested ways to measure them. The interview ended on a positive note, and I expected an offer, though I was also prepared for rejection, knowing I am a contractor competing with many high-quality candidates. I spent several hours preparing and participating, and asked for feedback, but received none. Why did I go through this interview? Was it free consulting or the team lead's ego? I don’t know. It would be nice to receive clear feedback on the reasons for rejection, as I believe I deserve it, and it could help me improve.