Apollo is the SMB-friendly sales intelligence and engagement platform — combines a contact database with engagement tools. Series D funding, fast-growing. The interview emphasizes data engineering at scale (hundreds of millions of contacts) and the unique challenges of running a B2B data platform.
Process
Recruiter screen → 60-minute coding phone (DSA medium) → onsite virtual: 2 coding, 1 system design, 1 craft deep-dive, 1 behavioral. Cycle: 3–4 weeks.
What they actually ask
- Design a contact database with hundreds of millions of records
- Design data freshness and verification pipelines
- Design an email engagement engine with deliverability
- Coding: medium DSA, often with data-pipeline framing
- Behavioral: customer focus, ownership, fast-moving culture
Levels and comp (2026)
- SE II: $160K–$200K total
- Senior SE: $230K–$305K
- Staff: $320K–$430K
- Principal: $450K–$600K
Prep priorities
- Be fluent in TypeScript/Node.js (bulk of the codebase)
- Understand data engineering at scale and ETL patterns
- Brush up on email deliverability and CRM data
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Apollo remote-friendly?
Distributed-first since 2020. Hubs in San Francisco and remote across US. Most engineering roles fully remote.
How does Apollo compare to ZoomInfo or Salesloft?
ZoomInfo is enterprise-tier with deeper data. Salesloft is engagement-focused. Apollo combines both for SMB. Apollo pays competitively with similarly-staged startups.
What is the engineering culture?
Fast-moving, ship-focused, ownership-heavy. Younger team. Strong fit for engineers who like startup intensity.