a16z Programming Test
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a16z Programming Test
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Re: a16z Programming Test
#2Cool, but... Why is A16z building an engineering team?
Re: a16z Programming Test
#3I seriously hope this doesn't become a norm. I hate timed tests.
Re: a16z Programming Test
#4Cool, but... Why is A16z building an engineering team?
Probably want to internally build some products. Makes for much better returns when you own 50+% of a company vs. ~20% via traditional funding.
Re: a16z Programming Test
#5Cool, but... Why is A16z building an engineering team?
My guess is to have an in-house team that can help out the companies they fund. I know that Netflix's cloud architect, Adrian Cockcroft, left to join a venture capital firm to advise on scaling issues for companies that firm funded[0].
0 - http://gigaom.com/2014/01/07/netflixs-cloud-architect-adrian...
Re: a16z Programming Test
#6Doesn't accept my (NZ) mobile number as valid :(
Re: a16z Programming Test
#71:30 am on the night before a physics test - why must this challenge be so tempting! There goes that studying :)
Re: a16z Programming Test
#8I wonder if this could act as a negative filter for good programmers. Who worth their salt is going to invest 3 hours of their time just to submit a resume? Wouldn't you want to talk to the employer first to see if they're a good fit?
In a tight labor market, people willing to do this are more desperate than others. So it's going to filter for desperate developers who passed a 3 hour basic skills test.
Old fashioned prior experience and education is probably still a better first filter. This would probably make more sense specifically for junior hires right out of school or with no experience.
Re: a16z Programming Test
#9I seriously hope this doesn't become a norm. I hate timed tests.
Seems like the obvious (if dishonest) thing would be to use a throwaway phone # to get the test, then spend a day or so solving it, then type it in (with plausible delays) using your real number a day later. Assuming the test is roughly the same each time (even if details are different, it's probably of the same general class).
In grading, the results of 6-8h of work entered in 2h would look more impressive than 3h of work in 3h, I suspect.
(Sometimes I hate that whenever someone gives me a situation, my first thought is "how can this be cheated or gamed", followed by "what controls can I put in place to prevent that, and and what costs"; it's basically automatic.)
Re: a16z Programming Test
#10I seriously hope this doesn't become a norm. I hate timed tests.
As an employer, I would seriously hope this does become the norm.
If some employers want to implement recruiting processes that require developers to complete tasks that don't reflect real-world development, it makes it that much easier for other employers to differentiate themselves and attract competent developers who aren't interested or desperate enough to play these games.
Frankly, in today's market I feel sorry for any experienced developer who is going to complete a "programming test" in which referencing a website or book other than language documentation is forbidden. I reference websites and books all the time, and I don't know a single developer who doesn't.