Introduction
At Briefcase we hire only for individual contributor roles: engineer and GTM. We have a single most important criteria that we evaluate: is the person likely to raise a bar in at least one area? We shape interview process to capture this signal.
Here's what the engineering process looks like, start to finish.
Culture call (30 minutes, remote)
A 30-minute video call with the hiring manager. We'll walk through your background and what drives you. We're looking for a track record of exceptional ability, serious ambition, and a good fit with how we work.
You will smash it if:
- you dream big and bold
- you've consistently outperformed your peers at something - it doesn't have to be work; chess, maths olympiads, competitive programming and the like all count
- you care about your craft and take pride in your work and your own development
- you're a good person with strong values
You don't need:
- a lot of experience
- a lot of knowledge
If it goes well, we'll invite you to the onsite.
Onsite (3 hours)
The onsite has two technical sessions followed by a conversation with Reuben, our CEO.
Coding task (1 hour)
We spend the first 10 minutes walking you through the product and our vision for it. Use this time: ask about the product, dig into the problems we're solving.
For the remaining 45 minutes you'll work on a coding task in the language of your choice. It's a simplified version of a problem we solve day to day - not an abstract LeetCode puzzle. You can use any tools you like, including search engines and AI autocomplete like Cursor tab. The one restriction is no coding agents. We use agents heavily ourselves, but if you can't solve a simple problem unaided, we can't judge your technical competency.
You'll smash it if you have solid coding fundamentals and can find your way around an unfamiliar domain quickly.
System design (1 hour)
A collaborative whiteboarding session with two Briefcase engineers. The task is a simplified version of a system we've actually built. It's domain-agnostic - you won't need any finance or accounting knowledge.
You will smash it if:
- you think systematically and break big problems into small, tractable parts
- you're comfortable disambiguating a problem you've never seen before
- you think holistically - about the product and the user, not just the technology
There are no trick questions. Ask the interviewers anything you need to. We want to see how you solve problems, clarify requirements, and work with other people.
Chat with Reuben (1 hour)
Reuben will kick off with giving you more context on Briefcase, our founding story and where are we now. There the conversation will once again be about your background and motivations. Very similar to initial cultural call - you will do well if you are ambitious and there is hint or evidence that you will be able to raise a bar at Briefcase.
If the onsite goes well, we move to the final stage.
References
We'll ask for two references:
- a peer you've worked with
- a previous manager, mentor, CEO, or similar
We hold a 15-minute conversation with each. If those go well, we make an offer.
Offer
For high-intent candidates this can move fast - we've gone from first call to signed offer in under a week. Alongside the offer we'll give you detailed feedback on why we think you'll be a great fit at Briefcase. And then we celebrate 🎉
Introduction
At Briefcase we hire only for individual contributor roles: engineer and GTM. We have a single most important criteria that we evaluate: is the person likely to raise a bar in at least one area? We shape interview process to capture this signal.
Here's what the engineering process looks like, start to finish.
Culture call (30 minutes, remote)
A 30-minute video call with the hiring manager. We'll walk through your background and what drives you. We're looking for a track record of exceptional ability, serious ambition, and a good fit with how we work.
You will smash it if:
- you dream big and bold
- you've consistently outperformed your peers at something - it doesn't have to be work; chess, maths olympiads, competitive programming and the like all count
- you care about your craft and take pride in your work and your own development
- you're a good person with strong values
You don't need:
- a lot of experience
- a lot of knowledge
If it goes well, we'll invite you to the onsite.
Onsite (3 hours)
The onsite has two technical sessions followed by a conversation with Reuben, our CEO.
Coding task (1 hour)
We spend the first 10 minutes walking you through the product and our vision for it. Use this time: ask about the product, dig into the problems we're solving.
For the remaining 45 minutes you'll work on a coding task in the language of your choice. It's a simplified version of a problem we solve day to day - not an abstract LeetCode puzzle. You can use any tools you like, including search engines and AI autocomplete like Cursor tab. The one restriction is no coding agents. We use agents heavily ourselves, but if you can't solve a simple problem unaided, we can't judge your technical competency.
You'll smash it if you have solid coding fundamentals and can find your way around an unfamiliar domain quickly.
System design (1 hour)
A collaborative whiteboarding session with two Briefcase engineers. The task is a simplified version of a system we've actually built. It's domain-agnostic - you won't need any finance or accounting knowledge.
You will smash it if:
- you think systematically and break big problems into small, tractable parts
- you're comfortable disambiguating a problem you've never seen before
- you think holistically - about the product and the user, not just the technology
There are no trick questions. Ask the interviewers anything you need to. We want to see how you solve problems, clarify requirements, and work with other people.
Chat with Reuben (1 hour)
Reuben will kick off with giving you more context on Briefcase, our founding story and where are we now. There the conversation will once again be about your background and motivations. Very similar to initial cultural call - you will do well if you are ambitious and there is hint or evidence that you will be able to raise a bar at Briefcase.
If the onsite goes well, we move to the final stage.
References
We'll ask for two references:
- a peer you've worked with
- a previous manager, mentor, CEO, or similar
We hold a 15-minute conversation with each. If those go well, we make an offer.
Offer
For high-intent candidates this can move fast - we've gone from first call to signed offer in under a week. Alongside the offer we'll give you detailed feedback on why we think you'll be a great fit at Briefcase. And then we celebrate 🎉