The process had 4 stages: 1. HR screening - went fine.
2. Alva Labs test + a fairly large assessment - already quite time-consuming(free work, remember it). 3. Presentation of the assessment to the Product Lead, followed by another round of product management questions and case discussions - also went fine. 4. The final stage was supposed to be a “cultural fit” interview, but in reality it was just another technical interview about delivery and looking for "ideal candidate". It was with the Director of Product and the Head of Product (who had joined the company just 2 months prior).
The main issue was clearly this new gatekeeper - the new Head of Product. She initially came across as friendly, but it quickly became obvious that she has inferiority complex and I'm pretty sure she doesn't even know what it means.
After 2+ months in the process, I was rejected with the explanation that my previous experience was “not the right fit.” This makes very little sense. The company positions itself as open to hiring PMs from different backgrounds, and their own Product Lead explicitly said I would be a good fit and moved me to the final stage.
Then suddenly, at the last step, my experience in terms of ownership and team setup is no longer sufficient? That’s something that should have been identified in the first interview, not after multiple rounds and a heavy assessment.
Another reason for rejection was that I’m “not strong enough in translating product thinking into clear strategy and actionable plans'. This conclusion was made after just 5 delivery questions, during what was supposed to be a cultural fit interview. I can be highly structured when needed - in my previous roles, I worked closely with product leaders from Google and Oracle, where this level of clarity and rigor was exceptional.
When I asked what success in this role actually looks like, the answer was vague and unstructured. It was clear there’s no real alignment on what the company is even looking for, whether it’s someone to handle internal processes transition, looking for innovation, or something else. Overall, expectations felt inconsistent and changed depending on who you spoke to. I accepted another offer the same day which was definitely the right decision. This review is not about being “toxic”, it’s about helping others avoid months of interviews that ultimately lead nowhere. It’s simply not worth it.