Trunk Tools Software Engineer interview typically runs 6 rounds: recruiter screen, engineering manager chat, take-home, two technical interviews, VP of Engineering, CEO. Timeline is about 1-2 weeks and the process can be open-ended with slow or unclear follow-up.
$130K
Avg. Base Comp
$171K
Avg. Total Comp
5-6
Typical Rounds
2-4 weeks
Process Length
Our read from this candidate experience is that Trunk Tools seems to care less about a rehearsed interview performance and more about whether you can own an ambiguous problem end to end. The take-home was described as very open ended — no scaffold code, no framework guidance, and no clear time expectation — which tells us they may be looking for engineers who can make sensible product and implementation choices without much direction. The specific task, a currency conversion service in Node and Express, also suggests they want to see practical backend judgment rather than cleverness for its own sake.
A recurring theme is the mismatch between effort and feedback. Multiple candidates report a process that feels positive early on, then becomes hard to read once the work gets more substantive. That means the non-obvious signal here may be less about perfect code and more about whether your solution is cleanly reasoned, easy to explain, and defensible under uncertainty. We’ve also seen that candidates should not assume the company will proactively clarify scope or volunteer detailed notes afterward.
What stands out most is the company’s apparent preference for engineers who can operate with startup-style ambiguity, but the candidate experience also hints that communication may be uneven. In practice, that means the strongest candidates are likely the ones who can make deliberate tradeoffs, document assumptions clearly, and stay calm when the process itself is not especially structured.
Synthetized from 1 candidates reports by our editorial team.
Had an interview recently?
Share your experience. Unlock the full guide.
Real interview reports from people who went through the Trunk Tools process.
I started with a 30-minute recruiter phone screen that felt pretty standard. We talked through my background and experience, and the conversation itself was fine, but I left with the impression that the next step would be a hiring manager chat followed by a take-home. That never really materialized in a clean way. After a few days without hearing back, I followed up and was basically ghosted, which was frustrating because the initial call had seemed positive enough to keep moving.
The more detailed process I had heard about, and the one that was discussed as the likely path, was an intro call with the engineering manager that was relaxed and enjoyable, then a take-home coding exercise. The take-home was very open ended: no scaffold code, no framework, and no guidance on how much time to spend. They offered $50 for it, which I took as meaning it was probably a couple of hours, but I ended up spending about five. The task was to build a currency conversion service using Node and Express. After that, the later rounds were supposed to include two technical interviews focused on data modeling and code strategy, followed by interviews with the VP of Engineering and the CEO. In my case, though, I never got that far. I waited over a week for a response, followed up, and was eventually declined without any notes or reasoning. I asked for feedback and didn’t get another reply. The whole thing felt especially off-putting because I had put real effort into the take-home and still didn’t get much closure. If you interview here, I’d be ready for an open-ended Node/Express take-home and don’t assume the process will move quickly or that you’ll get detailed feedback.
Prep tip from this candidate
Be ready for an open-ended Node and Express take-home around a currency conversion service, and don’t underestimate how much time it can take without scaffold code. If you get to later rounds, expect the technical conversations to center on data modeling and code strategy rather than pure algorithm questions.
Share your own interview experience to unlock all reports, or subscribe for full access.
Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Trunk Tools
Select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department
| Question | |
|---|---|
| Empty Neighborhoods | |
| Top Three Salaries | |
| Merge Sorted Lists | |
| Subscription Overlap | |
| Top 3 Users | |
| Rolling Bank Transactions | |
| Customer Orders | |
| String Shift | |
| Comments Histogram | |
| Closest SAT Scores | |
| Random SQL Sample | |
| Prime to N | |
| Upsell Transactions | |
| Monthly Customer Report | |
| First Touch Attribution | |
| Raining in Seattle | |
| Size of Joins | |
| Job Recommendation | |
| Minimum Change | |
| P-value to a Layman | |
| Daily Retention Summary | |
| Address Schema | |
| Google Maps Improvement | |
| Download Facts | |
| Permutation Palindrome | |
| Delivery Estimate Model | |
| Average Quantity | |
| Find the First Non-Repeating Character in a String | |
| Cyclic Detection |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
An initial recruiter call to review your background, experience, and general fit for the Software Engineer role. The conversation is described as standard and relatively straightforward.
A relaxed introductory conversation with the engineering manager, discussed as the likely next step after the recruiter screen. This stage appears to focus on getting to know your experience and how you approach engineering work.
An open-ended take-home assignment with no scaffold code, no framework guidance, and little direction on expected time. One reported task was to build a currency conversion service using Node and Express, and the company offered $50 for the exercise.
Two technical interviews were described as the later-stage rounds, focusing on data modeling and code strategy. These appear to be deeper engineering discussions following the take-home.
Final conversations with the VP of Engineering and the CEO. These rounds likely assess overall fit, communication, and alignment with the company’s direction before a final decision.