I enjoyed speaking with the team except for the Hiring Manager. He did not know what he was looking for, but very dominating. He was forcing his opinions on the problem but not willing to really help solve the problem at hand. As per my analysis he is just a coder who got promoted the right way and became a manager. Hats off to the recruiter who very proudly advised me to meet the Principal Engineers in the CO office prior to the interviews, which looked a little questionable to me but I guess it is professionalism as per her. She also mentioned that sky is the limit which I do not agree with if these backdoor entries are encouraged because meh, I will not meet anyone except during the formal interview which is my only duty to get a job the right way. So be careful of the recruiter and the hiring manager. If they reject you, please do not lose heart. There are qualified professionals outside. Be positive, ignore and move on!