The application process at Automattic consists of several steps: an initial application, follow-up responses, a small WordPress plugin project, and a trial period. The trial is promoted as a collaborative experience representative of full-time employment at Automattic. However, my experience was different. The trial lead tended to question my decisions but didn't offer constructive feedback. His responses were often terse or noncommittal like "ok, fine" or "sounds good, thanks". A particular issue was when he approved a PR I submitted, then later cited that same PR as a reason for my rejection. The trial period was a disappointment for me, and I don't believe it accurately represented what working at Automattic is truly like.