This article perfectly highlights the perils of unbounded take home tests. A timeboxed test for a small group (say, no more than 10) of final candidates can be

This article perfectly highlights the perils of unbounded take home tests. A timeboxed test for a small group (say, no more than 10) of final candidates can be an excellent differentiator. The problem here is Kagi have omitted the timebox, so less confident and/or experienced candidates go to the ends of the earth to deliver something that was never going to meet the mark. Had Kagi said “spend no more than 4 hours on this” - and arguably reduced some of the requirements accordingly - then your man here wouldn’t have wasted a week (!) of his time and Kagi’s. It’s a real shame that so much time was wasted by the candidate, but the requirements are very clear that “This project tests your ability … to deal with ambiguity and open-endedness”. He’d already dug a hole for himself before he’d started, unfortunately.