Follow the instructions.
That is the whole interview.
We care about two things: can you learn a new system quickly with AI as your partner, and can you document what you find with precision? The tests below take about an hour. Worst case, this is a breeze, you have done it before and it is 30 minutes doing something better than filling out dated applications. Otherwise, you walk away with hands-on experience in VS Code, GitHub, and vibe coding that you can put on your resume. You have nothing to lose.
Screencast Format
Show us VS Code and GitHub. Side by side.
Your screencast should be split screen. VS Code on one half, GitHub on the other. We want to see how your local work connects to the remote artifacts. This is how we work at Mault and it is how you will work too.
your-screencast.mp4
■ VS Code
- AI scaffolding the project
- Terminal running commands
- AI creating issues via CLI
- You prompting, iterating
● GitHub
- Repo created with code
- Commits showing up
- Issues appearing live
- The proof of your work
Why split screen? Because we need to see the connection between what you build locally and what shows up on GitHub. The left side is the work. The right side is the proof. That linkage is exactly how we operate at Mault.
The Pre-Qualification
Four tests. All required.
Complete these and send the deliverables to the email at the bottom of this page. If you are comfortable with AI, this should take about an hour. The tests determine who we talk to.
Test 1 of 4
The Cold Start
Download VS Code if you do not already have it. Using any AI assistant (Claude, Copilot, Cursor, ChatGPT, whatever you prefer), scaffold a small project from scratch. It can be anything: a to-do app, a simple API, a CLI tool, a personal website. You pick the stack. You pick the project. Keep it simple.
Record your screencast (split screen, VS Code + GitHub) showing you and the AI building it together. We want to see how you prompt, how you react to the output, and whether you can get from zero to something working.
Bonus: Enable thinking / extended thinking
Test 2 of 4
Builds on Test 1
Source Control Setup
Now that you have scaffolded the project, work with your AI to set up a GitHub repository and authenticate the GitHub CLI from inside VS Code. Push your project to the repo.
This should be visible in your screencast. The left side shows you pushing from VS Code. The right side shows the repo appearing on GitHub with your code.
Test 3 of 4
Builds on Test 2
Feature Planning
Using AI, create 3-5 GitHub issues for features that would enhance your application. Create the issues from inside VS Code using the GitHub CLI or an extension.
Make the issues specific. “Add dark mode with system preference detection” is good. “Add features” is not. We should see the issues appear on the GitHub side of your split screen as you create them.
Test 4 of 4
Standalone
The Bug Report
Go to your favorite online store or restaurant website. Trace the user journey from landing page to checkout or reservation. Find at least one real friction point, bug, or UX issue.
Write a bug report. Include what you did, what you expected to happen, what actually happened, and why it matters. Keep it to one page. Attach a screenshot if it helps.
Example format (you do not need to follow this exactly):
Site: example-restaurant.com
Flow: Mobile reservation booking
Steps: Home > Menu > Reserve a Table > Select date
Expected: Calendar lets me pick a date and time
Actual: Calendar loads but past dates are selectable, submitting a past date returns a blank page
Why it matters: A customer trying to book a table on mobile hits a dead end. They leave. The restaurant loses a reservation.
What to Send
Four things. One email. That is it.
Google Drive Folder
Create a folder with a separate screencast for each test (Tests 1, 2, and 3) and your bug report as a Google Doc. All four files live in one folder. Set sharing to “anyone with the link.” Name your files clearly so we know what we are looking at:
Folder: FirstName-LastName-Mault-QA
Test 1: FirstName-LastName-ColdStart.mp4
Test 2: FirstName-LastName-SourceControl.mp4
Test 3: FirstName-LastName-FeaturePlanning.mp4
Test 4: FirstName-LastName-BugReport (Google Doc)
Ready?
Email your Google Drive folder link to the address below. The folder should contain three screencasts (one per test) and one bug report (Google Doc). No folder link, no interview.