The recruiter screen was warm, organized, and clear about expectations. The 30-min hiring-manager video was very different: hard to build rapport—the interviewer felt cold, looked away often, and follow-ups reframed my answers in a way that implied I didn’t understand basics (even light small talk like “what did you do this weekend?” landed cold). When I asked about near-term team priorities, my question was misunderstood and I couldn’t get a direct answer, which made the conversation feel one-sided rather than conversational. It ended with “someone will be in touch,” and a week later I received a rejection with no feedback (policy). Fast process, but the second round’s tone made it hard to assess mutual fit.