At the highest level of management I saw a well defined and aspirational vision of the product and the company. Just below that rung, however, I witnessed a layer of management that seemed perpetually in disarray. In my brief tenure, I was present for at least two company-wide reorganizations. Communication was clearly sparse between certain key figures, and this lead to conflicting messaging and instruction. I was regularly expected to take ownership of feature delivery, testing, and deployment - but was never actually afforded any authority or autonomy to drive anything beyond development. For this reason, it often felt like I was intentionally being set up for failure by junior PM’s.
At one time, I was extended the opportunity to participate in a “performance incentive plan” wherein I would be eligible to receive quarterly allotments that would add up to a $5,000 bonus over the course of a year. However, it was stipulated that I would immediately take a $2,500 reduction in my overall salary to participate in this plan. Moreover, a notable portion of the bonuses would be tied to company performance. When I inquired how this performance would be measured (it’s worth noting that that the company wasn’t generating revenue), I was not given a solid answer.
Towards the end of my tenure I did not reasonably believe there would be any meaningful advancements I could make in my role.
