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Computer Scientist at the Department of BioSciences, Rice University
 

Interviewing at a place where the work has a positive impact in the real world

I interviewed (non-technical) at a company that actually develops technology that has a positive impact in the real world.

  • They engage in pro-bono projects
    • It reminds me of Laszlo interview where he says “we should have more days that we feel that we’re changing the world than days that we’re not”
  • It is an analysis platform that uses ontology!
    • If WebFountain had gotten Amit Sheth as chief scientist (or VP), this is what WebFountain would be right now
  • I would bet that the employees are quite good; I would not be surprised if google/facebook is trying to recruit them intensly
  • Technical interview: I made the mistake of using an easier to code data structure to answer a question. My choice was partly because I expected to code it up on the browser, but it turns out that it was not needed. The interviewer stated the problem and asked follow up questions. Had I chosen the other data structure, then it would have been easier to answer such questions. I was a bit surprised that I did not have to code the answer. It was one of those websites where you can see in real-time what the other person types, and it is designed for writing computer programs.

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