I interviewed with a recruiter/assistant and a co-founder. Aside from the standard “tell me about yourself,” the interview felt unstructured and amateurish—more like being questioned by an unprepared student than by professionals. It was clear the company has limited experience conducting interviews. The recruiter/assistant relied heavily on a list of seemingly random questions, with little effort to build a meaningful conversation. The co-founder was largely disengaged, speaking only when prompted or when I asked him direct questions. He appeared unprepared when asked about the company, its mission, or even his own role. Having led and conducted many interviews throughout my career in software development, I can confidently say I would not have considered either interviewer a strong candidate had the roles been reversed. I rated the interview difficulty as “Average,” though any challenge came more from the lack of structure and experience than from the content itself. Even if I had been offered the position, I would not have accepted. It was one of the most disjointed and erratic interviews I’ve participated in. While I wish the company success, the lack of preparation, disengaged demeanor, and inability to answer basic questions about their business were significant red flags. Perhaps I caught them on an off day, but I left the interview feeling fortunate not to be moving forward.

I had an interview with both the recruiter and co-founder, and it was an engaging and insightful conversation. Instead of focusing on buzzwords or checkmarks on skillsets, the interview centered around real-life questions and a meaningful exchange of ideas about what Polygon is trying to achieve. This was hands down one of the best interviews I’ve had in a long time. Truly refreshing to have a conversation that felt genuine and purposeful.