Most AI labs grill you on one past project. Most big tech loops don't.

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12 of 23 AI labs, OpenAI and Anthropic among them, have a round on one project you built, against 3 of 7 big tech companies. What it grades, how long it runs, and how to prepare.

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Photo: NEOM on Unsplash
  • 12 of 23 AI labs have a round on one project you built, including Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI and Google DeepMind.
  • Most big tech loops don’t: 3 of 7 big tech companies have one, and 2 of 7 scaled startups.
  • 10 of the 12 grade depth under follow-ups: how many layers of “why” your answers survive.
  • What you personally owned (5) and decisions and tradeoffs (5) come next.
  • 60 minutes is the usual length (6 of the 8 with a known length).
  • 6 ask you to present, often with slides; the rest are conversations.

Most AI labs grill you on one past project; most big tech doesn’t

Loops with a round about a project you built, by kind of company.

  1. AI labs12 of 23
  2. Big tech3 of 7
  3. Scaled startups2 of 7

10 of 12 AI lab deep dives grade depth under follow-ups

Each deep dive round and what it grades, from its description. The round goes by many names: project presentation, experience deep dive, project walkthrough, take-home review. Microsoft AI doesn't describe what it grades.

CompanyDepth under follow-upsWhat you personally ownedDecisions and tradeoffsWorking across teamsClear communicationScale and scope
Anthropicyesyesyesyesnono
OpenAIyesyesyesyesnoyes
SpaceXAIyesyesnononono
Google DeepMindyesnonononono
Cursoryesnononoyesno
Perplexityyesnonononono
Harveyyesyesyesnonono
Applied Intuitionnonoyesnonono
Sierrayesnononoyesno
Decagonyesyesnononono
Hugging Faceyesnoyesnonono
Microsoft AInononononono

The same, by theme. A round can grade more than one thing.

  1. Depth under follow-ups10 rounds
  2. What you personally owned5 rounds
  3. Decisions and tradeoffs5 rounds
  4. Working across teams2 rounds
  5. Clear communication2 rounds
  6. Scale and scope1 round

Plan for 60 minutes on one project

Deep dives by length, where it is known. 6 of 12 ask you to present first (Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI, Google DeepMind, Cursor and Applied Intuition); the rest start as a conversation.

  1. 60 minutes6 rounds
  2. 45 minutes1 round
  3. 30 minutes1 round

What candidates report about the round

  • OpenAIBring backup detail beyond the slides; expect 'why not the alternative?' and 'what happens at ten times the scale?' for every project. Strong coders often fail this round by staying shallow.
  • AnthropicUsually on the second onsite day, which only goes ahead after a good first day.
  • HarveyCandidates underrate this round; vague answers fail it fastest.
  • DecagonYour real role, probed until its edges; details must stay consistent across interviews
  • CursorSome loops add system design, ML or behavioral conversations around the project day.

What this means for your prep

  1. Pick one project you owned end to end. 10 of 12 rounds grade depth under follow-ups, so choose the one you know deepest.
  2. Know every decision and the option you turned down. At OpenAI, expect “why not the alternative?” and “what happens at ten times the scale?” for every project.
  3. Say what you did, not what the team did. 5 of 12 rounds grade what you personally owned.
  4. Have a presentation ready for Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceXAI: about 20 minutes at Anthropic; at OpenAI, bring backup detail beyond the slides.
  5. Keep the story the same in every round. At Decagon, details must stay consistent across interviews.

See every reported question for your loop, by round, with when it was last asked.

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What the labs asked this week

A weekly email of what OpenAI, Anthropic and the other top AI labs asked engineers, round by round.