The initial contact was great. The Founder sent a personalised video to provide more insight into the company and the role, which was a thoughtful touch and helped set the stage well. I had prepped significantly for this interview as I was incredibly excited for the opportunity. Unfortunately, the interview itself wasn’t a great experience. Emer appeared tired and unprepared to take the call, mentioning that it was early morning in their timezone (UK). The interview started with an obscure question and then moved into a general discussion about my experience. I asked a number of questions to better understand the company, the role, and the culture — and to help express my fit more clearly — but it didn’t feel like there was much clarity or depth around what they were actually looking for in the role. Many of the responses were vague or didn’t directly address what I was asking. I understand that in early-stage of a new team or function, roles can be ambiguous and it's often up to the right person to navigate that ambiguity. But in saying that, the HR representative didn’t seem familiar with the deeper questions that come with hiring for a strategic product role, communities in general — or what would indicate someone’s ability to handle those unknowns. They explained the process, that they would like to progress all candidates simultaneously, and mentioned there would be a challenge involved in the next step. A week later, I received a polite rejection, but no specific feedback. They are still hiring for the role and have renewed their job listing last week. Overall, it started strong but lacked structure, depth, and role clarity in the interview itself.