Mechanize Interview Challenge — Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 2026-08-04

These terms govern the Mechanize Interview Challenge (the “Challenge”), an invitation-only program offered by Mechanize, Inc. (“Mechanize,” “we,” “us”). By participating, you agree to these terms.

In plain English

If you were invited to the Challenge and you complete Mechanize’s standard interview process for a Software Engineer or Research Engineer role and we extend you a job offer, we will pay you US $5,000 — whether or not you accept the offer. The $5,000 is a reward for clearing our interview bar, and is paid only if you actually receive an offer — getting partway through the process does not qualify. It is not a signing bonus and is not conditioned on you accepting employment. You do not have to take the job to keep the money. There is no deadline: the Challenge is ongoing and does not end. As long as you applied through your invitation link and are still in our interview process, you remain eligible to earn the award. The formal terms below control if anything here is unclear.

1. Who can participate

The Challenge is open only to individuals who:

• received a direct, personal invitation link from Mechanize to participate;
• are legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of applying; and
• complete the interview process in good faith and in compliance with these terms.

The Challenge is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

2. Who is not eligible

The following are not eligible to receive the award:

• current or former employees, contractors, advisors, or founders of Mechanize;
• anyone who is already in Mechanize’s applicant tracking system, or who has applied to or interviewed with Mechanize for any role within the prior twelve (12) months;
• immediate family members of, or persons sharing a household with, Mechanize employees; and
• recruiters, agencies, or staffing firms, or anyone applying on another person’s behalf.

3. How to earn the award

The Challenge applies only to Mechanize’s Software Engineer and Research Engineer roles. The eligible role for an invited participant is the one named on, or linked from, their invitation page.

To earn the US $5,000 award you must:

1. Apply for the eligible role through your invitation link;
2. Complete Mechanize’s standard interview process for that role; and
3. Receive a written employment offer from Mechanize for that role.

The award is earned only by receiving an offer. “Receiving an offer” means Mechanize has extended you a written employment offer through its normal hiring process. Reaching any particular interview stage — for example a phone screen, a take-home, or an onsite — does not qualify: if Mechanize does not extend you an offer, no award is payable, no matter how far through the process you got. Whether to extend an offer is entirely at Mechanize’s sole discretion, and there is no guarantee that any participant will receive one.

4. The award

• The award is a one-time payment of US $5,000 per eligible person.
• It is paid regardless of whether you accept the employment offer. It is not a signing, hiring, or retention bonus, and it does not depend on you starting or remaining in any role.
• Only one (1) award per person, no matter how many roles you apply or interview for. The award is non-transferable and may not be substituted, except that Mechanize may substitute an award of equal value if necessary.
• The award is separate from, and in addition to, any compensation described in an employment offer (e.g., salary, equity, or bonus). Those are governed by the offer’s own terms.

5. Payment

• We pay eligible awards within thirty (30) days after the qualifying offer is extended, by bank transfer.
• Before payment, you must provide the information we reasonably need to pay you and to meet our tax-reporting obligations, including a completed IRS Form W-9 (U.S. persons) or Form W-8BEN / local equivalent (non-U.S. persons), and valid payment details.
• The award may be reported to tax authorities (for U.S. recipients, generally on IRS Form 1099). You are solely responsible for any taxes owed on the award. Mechanize does not provide tax advice.
• If you do not provide the required information within 30 days of our request, the award may be forfeited.

6. Integrity and disqualification

Mechanize may disqualify any participant, and withhold or reclaim any award, if the participant: misrepresents their identity, work, or eligibility; plagiarizes or submits work that is not their own; uses assistance or tools beyond what an interview stage permits; attempts to manipulate or circumvent the process; or otherwise violates these terms or acts in bad faith. Mechanize’s hiring and evaluation decisions are final.

7. Not an offer of employment

These terms do not constitute an offer of employment and do not create an employment or contractor relationship. Any employment offer is separate, is made at Mechanize’s discretion, and is governed by its own terms. Mechanize is an at-will, equal-opportunity employer; nothing here changes that.

8. Program duration and changes

• The Challenge is ongoing and has no end date. It continues indefinitely; any previously stated end date no longer applies.
• If you applied for an eligible role through your invitation link, you remain in the Challenge for as long as you are active in Mechanize’s application and interview process. The passage of time alone will not remove you: you stay eligible to earn the US $5,000 award by receiving an offer as described in Section 3.
• Mechanize may update these terms or change how the Challenge operates. Any such change will continue to honor the award for (a) anyone to whom we have already extended a qualifying offer under these terms, and (b) anyone who applied through their invitation link and is still active in our application or interview process.

9. Privacy

Information you submit is handled in line with Mechanize’s standard hiring and data practices. Apply-page analytics let us attribute applications to the group that was invited; we do not sell your personal information.

10. Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Mechanize’s total liability in connection with the Challenge is limited to the US $5,000 award. Mechanize is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages. The Challenge is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, any platform or organization through which an invitation link may have been shared.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute will be resolved in the courts located in San Francisco, California, and you consent to that jurisdiction.

12. Contact

Questions about the Challenge: [email protected]. Mechanize, Inc. — 131 Continental Dr, Suite 305, Newark, DE 19713.