mock interviews with friends always turned into small talk. so i built something that wouldn't let that happen.

i kept asking friends to run mock interviews with me before real ones, and every single time we'd start strong for maybe two questions, then drift into catching up or them going easy on me because they didn't want to be harsh.

it hit me hardest before an onsite last year. i had a friend lined up to grill me on system design. we scheduled an hour. ten minutes in, we were talking about his new job and whether he should move to austin. the actual interview two days later? i fumbled a question i could've nailed if i'd just practiced it under real pressure.

the problem wasn't my friends. it's just hard to stay in interviewer mode when you know the person. you don't want to make it awkward. you soften the feedback. you let things slide.

so i started building nxtinterview earlier this year — basically a way to run mock interviews that doesn't let you off easy. it asks real questions (you can pull from your resume or pick topics), records your answers, and gives you actual feedback on what you said and how you said it. no one's feelings to worry about. no small talk escape hatch.

i'm still working on it solo, adding features when i can. it's helped me personally and a handful of early users who had the same problem. not trying to replace human feedback entirely, but for the reps you need before the real thing, it's been way more consistent than texting a friend at 9pm asking if they're free.

full disclosure: i'm vamshi, i built this. if you've had the same issue with mock interview flakiness, might be worth trying.

check it out at nxtinterview.com if this sounds familiar. happy to hear what's missing or what would make it more useful.