How to Research a Company Before Your Interview (6-Step Guide)
Interviewers know within 2 minutes whether you've done your homework. Great research takes 60-90 minutes and is the highest ROI preparation you can do. Here's exactly what to look for.
AI-powered with scored feedback and specific improvement tips.
Step 1: Read the Company Blog and Engineering Blog
Most tech companies publish an engineering blog. Read the last 3-5 posts to understand their technical challenges, architectural decisions, and what they're proud of. This gives you specific, technical conversation starters that 95% of candidates don't have.
Step 2: Watch Recent Leadership Talks
YouTube, conference talks (Re:Invent, I/O, F8, Stripe Sessions), and podcasts. CEO and VP-level talks give you language about how the company thinks about its mission and competitive position. Drop this language naturally in your answers.
Step 3: Read Glassdoor Reviews (With Skepticism)
Not for the star rating — for patterns in what employees love and complain about. Common Glassdoor themes: "fast-paced but can feel chaotic" or "incredible autonomy but needs structure." Use these to prepare for culture-fit questions about your work preferences.
Step 4: Know Their Recent News
Google "[company] news 2024 2025." What have they launched? What are they struggling with? Acquisitions, layoffs, new markets, product pivots. Recent context signals you're paying attention to the business, not just their Wikipedia page.
Step 5: Understand the Competitive Landscape
Who are their main competitors? What's their differentiated position? Why do customers choose them over alternatives? This matters because interview questions often probe how you think about the business context around your work.
Step 6: Research Your Interviewers
LinkedIn each interviewer. Note their background, their tenure at the company, any published work. If they have GitHub repos or conference talks, review them. Reference something specific in your thank-you email. This level of detail is rare and memorable.
Key Takeaways
- →Create a one-page research doc for each company you're actively interviewing at
- →Prep 3-5 company-specific questions based on your research
- →Don't overload the interviewer with your research — drop it naturally, not like a presentation