“Why do you want to work here?” is the question that exposes who did the homework. Build the dossier layer by layer — then see exactly where each layer shows up in the room.
Nothing yet. The generic answer about “growth opportunities and great culture” is what comes out of this state — and every interviewer has heard it.
Going deeper than “they make software” puts you ahead of half the field instantly — and specific feedback on their actual product is one of the few things that genuinely impresses.
Roughly in order of importance — but the last one is the layer most candidates skip entirely, which is exactly why doing it stands out.
Gathering intel is half the job. The half that changes outcomes is deploying it naturally. Tap a moment to see the same candidate with and without the dossier.
“I’m really excited about the growth opportunities and the great culture here.”
“You launched the self-serve tier in March — that shift from sales-led to self-serve is the exact problem I spent two years on, and I’d rather work on it here than watch it from outside.”
Specificity is the whole game. The first answer could be pasted into any application; the second could only have been written for this one.
Never recite the research report at them. Let the preparation surface naturally — the goal is that the interviewer simply experiences you as someone who gets their company.