I went through a 5-step process (recruiter screening, technical interview, soft skills interview with EM and PM, CEO interview, CTPO interview). Early stages were positive, and I received encouraging feedback regarding my technical skills and overall alignment. The recruiter and team members were professional and respectful. After ~6 hours invested, I was rejected at the final stage based on executive-level fit considerations that were not clearly defined, directly discussed, or assessed during the process. This points to a gap between leadership expectations and the rest of the interviews. Senior candidates may benefit from clarifying early how leadership defines “fit” and evaluates decision-making, as final judgments may rely heavily on executive interpretation rather than direct evaluation.