Submit code during interview

Question

I'm interviewing for a position at an internet startup. The position relates to doing data mining on their very large database of user information. As part of the (long-distance) interview procedure which involves examining a subset of their database, they requested that I submit the code I used for analysis.

My main concern is that this code is "proprietary", for lack of a better word. I have no problems giving them all my code if I end up working for them, but considering that they could potentially take the code, not hire me, and use it on their larger database to generate revenue, I'm hesitant. Am I being just being paranoid? Is this a legitimate concern?

Answer 1

If you want the job, and if this is their process, you'll probably have to submit. I think you're wise to consider the possibility that they could "steal" your code and you'll have worked for free. However, if your code works and impresses them, they'll probably want more of it.

You should also weigh the potential earnings of keeping the code for yourself vs. releasing it to get the job.

Answer 2

Usually I don't care unless it's obvious they're trying to get work for free. Writing a bit of code using "live" data or the like is fine, being handed a task from the product backlog and being expected to implement it for free as an "example" is underhanded and that's when you should refuse (or send them a bill afterwards).

Use your own judgement on the matter, but if the job is worth it then I wouldn't be too concerned as long as they aren't blatantly trying to get you to do real work without paying.

Answer 3

If you only a few two hours in it, you can expect that their programmers could do it as fast and have most likely spent more time to do the interviewing and finding an interesting piece of work for you to do than they ever could gain by stealing your code. You question would only be relevant if you wrote some seriously large amount of code or had some domain knowledge that they don't have themselves. Stealing work would only start to pay if you get at least several days of professional code out of each interviewee. And you never know in advance if the code will have good quality.

Answer 4

I've submitted small bits of code that only took a couple of hours to write but solved a real problem for people twice. Both times I did not get the job. Both times I'm not sure there really was a job.

In your case you might have the advantage that if you ever discover your code in their product you would probably have a great case against them in a lawsuit, so before submitting it, if you do, maybe you should do something to allow you to prove you wrote it, and when you wrote it.

Answer 5

You should bail on this job. Seriously -- if you truly think that there's even one chance in ten that the company is so nefarious as to hatch a scheme to get free labor through a sham hiring process, there's clearly a lack of trust between you and them. If you can't trust them with a couple hours' work, how can you trust them with your livelihood?

Alternately, try looking at it from their perspective: would you hire yourself without some measure of your skill level?

Answer 6

Don't spend too much time working on code during the recruitment process (i.e. more than a day on it) because that's essentially free work for your prospective employer. If such happens they're not acting very professional and you should consider gently running away from them.

Usually during these kinds of interviews, where you submit code to solve a specific small problem, it's only silly to assume that you'll have issues with it. Why?

• If it is code that you've written for one, very specific, throw-away problem and the code may need to be refactored in order to be useful anyway.
• In geographic locations where software patents are in effect it might be subject of patent infringement anyway and no amount of copyright will protect you from scare tactics used by greedy lawyers. (Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer.)

Answer 7

If you are worried about people stealing your code, the best protection against it is to license it using the Creative Commons Licenses. I would personally choose the Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported. However you are never going to prevent people from looking at your code and re-writing it, this is the Kevlar vest you can put on to protect you legally from pirates trying to rip your code line for line.

If youre serious about this job, show them bits and pieces, or highlights of the code. Let them know what you're doing logically without giving away your trade secrets. If you practice good design in your coding, they will see it first handed in your code.