It's not so surprising: The position was just an internship, and the hiring manager was already familiar with the work product of the candidate (the app that drew their attention in the first place).
Oh, internship, I missed that, because part of the article is behind some sign-up wall.
That detail is so important, should be in the title.
Internships are the exception. Good grades, good projects to show, sometimes connections, and a bit of luck is what you need. Then good performance during the internship and being on a team that still has head count to make an offer at the end of it.
But internships tend to be ageist. If you're too old, or are past that fresh out of school phase, you probably won't qualify for them.
