Interview format

Spike Round

Overview

Perplexity’s Spike Round is an asynchronous technical project round. Candidates define and then deliver a project from idea to implementation, using the tools and tech stack of their choice.

The Spike Round has a storied reputation both internally and externally.

• Internally, the Spike Round is known for selecting some of Perplexity’s most prolific and technically proficient team members.
• Externally, candidates who take the Spike Round often describe it as the most fun they’ve ever had during an interview process.

Rather than write a separate interview guide, we’re providing our actual candidate-facing documents below. We believe that reading these documents will give you a detailed idea of what to expect.

• Introduction to the Spike Round Context on scheduling and Spike Round project proposals.
• Spike Round Instructions Logistics, environment setup, interview day timeline, submission instructions, and evaluation criteria.