OwnLocal interview questions

I filled out the online application, which consists of a wide variety of questions, many of which are clearly meant to see if you are a personality/company culture fit. I then received the following (partial snippet here) by email: "We've reviewed hundreds of applications and hand-selected you to move to the second round. (This means you're kind of awesome, but you already knew that.) If you haven't figured it out by now, we're not a normal company, and our hiring process follows suit...your next step is a challenge, and if any of the requested details are missing, your response will not make the cut." So I did the challenge, which consisted of sending answers to CS scenarios, as well as uploading a video explaining what OwnLocal does and why I wanted to work there. I had about 3 days to complete the challenge. After that came the phone interview, and within 7 hours of completing the phone call, I had a rejection email in my inbox. Every word written by OwnLocal, both in the online application and in every email they send to applicants, makes it very clear that they think highly of themselves, and they want you to know it. There's a lot of "don't call us" and "if you don't follow these explicit instructions you're out" language in there. I understand they have to do some gate-keeping if they are indeed getting hundreds of applicants for each job, but there are more personable ways to go about it. It is not a privilege to jump through crazy hoops and a multi-step application process, especially when some of it has nothing to do with actually proving your qualifications for the specific job. I shouldn't feel lucky to be acknowledged with an answer at each phase, since it seems they have a penchant for ignoring the rejects.

I, too, was led down a yellow brick road to nothing. OwnLocal had me run through the whole interview process - I had a phone interview, I did the project, I had an onsite interview, and then a phone call with the CEO and one with the "Chief of Staff." They made it clear that taking me so far through the interview process meant they were definitely interested in me. I was told I'd come in another time for culture fit interviews, where I'd meet with the whole team, then they'd vote. "So you'll know everyone wants you here." I guess you have to get an unanimous vote to be hired? I didn't hear back for a week, so I emailed my contact. "Conflicting travel schedules, we'll be in touch soon!" She replied. Another week passed. I called my contact. "We are having the vote tomorrow, so you will know by then!" She said (note, they never brought me in for the supposed "culture fit" interview). Another few days passed, and finally, out of desperation, I wrote an email saying, "I haven't heard from you... what's up?" Crickets were the only response. Nearly four weeks have passed and I never even got a, "Thanks for interviewing, we are moving on to other candidates." I get that they are a start-up, but I don't find this an excuse for such a lack of professionalism. Future interviewers: be prepared for anxiety-invoking silences on their end.