RejectedOnsite

AI Debugging and Unclear Coding Assumptions

InstacartSoftware Engineer · Onsite · Sep 2026

The author reports an unsuccessful Instacart backend interview process involving CodeSignal assessments and human-led coding. The first onsite segment included a 90-minute library-application exercise and two hour-long coding interviews. AI was available for the application task, but only to explain code and help localize bugs, not to provide direct fixes. The author says the required changes ult…

Shared by a candidate · reported Sep 2026. Interview formats change; use it as a guide, not a script.