A word to management: your interview process instantly gave me a negative impression of your company, even before you turned me down. You need to keep in mind that applicants are also interviewing you and your approach to the process is not one that everyone will find appealing. Before I describe the process, it's important to note that I didn't make it past the first round, I believe there are three rounds in total. It's also important to note that I have a pending offer from a direct competitor that is significantly larger - I was clearly not a good fit, but I am not simply a poor applicant, I assure you. Here's how it went: I applied online and was replied to by the CEO within a few hours on the same day, this was great. What wasn't great was that I was replied to in about 10 words with an attachment that proposed that I complete a relatively large case for a fictional customer. I would have appreciated the opportunity to speak with a manager from the company before I was handed this project so that I could have at the very least gotten a more thorough understanding of the culture and expectations. Further, when someone decides to join a startup, it can be easily understood that they may be interested in learning about the long-term vision of the company, the high-level financial outlook and the opportunities for growth. Instead, I was just told to get to work. My finished deliverable ended up being about 1300 words and took me several hours to complete. I also found the project itself to be unusual considering the position that I applied for, but that's simply a matter of opinion. What isn't a matter of opinion is that the boundaries of the role play are unclear in the case's explanation. I recommend that you say something more direct such as "from this point forward, any communication you have with Canopy Labs should be assumed to be a communication with the fictional customer that you are working for". Thanks for the opportunity, but I would never recommend that a friend apply to your company.