Perhaps it was the "way" the person I communicated with spoke about it.

Something like triple interviews, cut-throat competition for the position (which shouldn't actually count as brutal on your side, but it is brutal) and because it was a while back... I cannot recall the other parts.

Kudos to Olark for treating the business like a family though. I saw the link and the get-togethers look pretty awesome :-)

I actually wasn't told about the "workalong for a day". That step in the hiring phase seems okay though.