Hopeful-County837's journey

I recently applied for a position at a tech company that received over 150 applications. After making it through the initial screening, I was invited to interview, which I felt went exceptionally well. The conversation was engaging, and I left the interview feeling optimistic about my chances. At the end of the interview, I was informed that the next step would involve an interview with company executives, followed by a final decision. They mentioned I should expect to hear back in about two weeks. I took the initiative to send a follow-up email to express my continued interest and received a very positive response, which felt encouraging. Now, I'm in the waiting period, trying to figure out where I might stand in the process. I'm curious to hear from recruiters or hiring managers about their experiences: - Typically, after such a large pool of applicants, how many candidates usually make it to the interview stage? - At this point, how many candidates are generally still in serious consideration? - Does a 2-3 week timeline suggest that they are interviewing multiple finalists? - And is a positive follow-up response a good sign, or just standard courtesy? I know every company has its own hiring processes, but I’d appreciate any insights.