I think there's two elements to this. First - all the things you list are important too, and we'll get to that. But there's no point in getting to those things if the candidate can't write 5 lines of python and has no idea how the language operates.

Second, hiring at startups is massively different to hiring at big companies. At big companies you have a website and a linkedin and a recruiter and external recruiters and they're all funnelling CVs to you dozens at a time. You're glancing over a CV and if it looks roughly right you'll do a phone screen. People lie on their CVs. So you need a few questions like this just drop the 90% of candidates who have literally no chance at getting the job. Keep in mind, the external recruiters will interview the candidates you reject, find out your interview questions, find the answers and tip off future candidates.

We're also hiring for a different set of skills. At a start up everyone is doing everything. Does it matter how well you can talk to customers? Maybe! That could be useful. In a large company if you ever talk to a customer as an engineer you will have been at the company for years, you'll have a Sales guy, Technical Sales guy, an Account Manager, your manager, and maybe a Project Manager all in the room if you ever get to see a customer.