Exercise caution when dealing with Synoptek. They approached me for what they called a CTO position, but which they really meant to be a "client" technology officer. (Think of this as a CTO for hire position with the company's clients.) As the interviews progressed, the work location I interviewed for changed eventually to include two in the U.S. Northeast and two on the West Coast. The final interview consisted of a mock customer-facing business case presentation via Skype with the CEO and various Synoptek executives. The company repeatedly went dark during the interview and job offer process. In the weeks prior to a verbal offer, the company said they were working on terms and start times, trying to bring the job start closer in time. When a verbal offer eventually came, the location offered was not the one discussed and the salary package only generally fit the parameters of the range spoken of earlier. Asked to clarify the specific job location, the company came back a number of times via email and phone calls to say they were "working on it" and that the question had "thrown them for a loop." Synoptek never once met a deadline they set for themselves to provide feedback, nor did they follow through on their commitments. Hiring is one of the fundamental activities of a company and its leadership. Moreover, the foundations for a great client experience begin with a great candidate experience for those people the company brings on to represent it. This candidate's experience repeatedly raised subtle but nagging red flags.