I would entertain the idea later in the interview process, especially if there were some token payment to show that the potential employer is just as invested as I.

And before someone says, "you should be sharp on your skills regardless of an upcoming interview", I challenge you to try a mock interview for a similar company.

> Please note that this post is intended to help with vetting of software engineering candidates at early-stage startups with significant technical complexity.

candidates at early stage start ups need to sacrifice time, energy, and effort in a manner that's not based on hourly compensation for the company to hockey stick.

it's critical to filter out people who aren't willing to do this. the proof is in the pudding: all the people volunteering time/effort, freely, to get better scores on the gold mine game... after they're hired.

not to say those aren't redeeming qualities for talented software engineers. they're just using this curiosity/drive as a signal for "willing to work on cool stuff above and beyond normal salaried expectations, and not ask too many questions about how they will benefit".

there's an obvious tie in to age here as well (younger people are less committed to external causes e.g. relationships, have weaker boundaries generally, more able to be starry eyed, etc.)

Although yeah, I spend my evenings with my partner, and I was working extra hours at my real job, and it was a test you had only a few days to complete, so I had to pull an all-nighter for it.