Pros
The people (not including senior management): I had the pleasure of working with truly wonderful, intelligent, and driven colleagues. Collaboration felt natural there was no judgment, just a shared sense of purpose and a genuine team spirit. It made day to day work not only productive but genuinely enjoyable. My engineering manager: Out of all the engineering managers I’ve worked with, he stood out as exceptional. What truly set him apart was his empathy and his ability to lead without judgment. That kind of leadership is rare especially in the fast paced, high pressure environment we were in. His support made a real difference and created a safe, motivating space to do great work.
Cons
The senior management: Some individuals in management created unnecessary pressure around deliverables, often pushing for unrealistic timelines. This contributed to a stressful environment that could have been avoided with better planning and communication. Work life balance: There was very little balance. Long hours were the norm, not the exception, and the expectation to be constantly available made it hard to maintain any separation between work and personal life. Rigid office policy: A strict 5 day a week in office requirement offered no flexibility, which felt outdated and disconnected from modern work culture especially in a role that could easily support remote or hybrid work. Lack of benefits: There were no meaningful benefits offered to support employee well being or development. Low compensation: Pay was below market average, particularly when factoring in the long hours and high expectations. High turnover: Employee churn was noticeably high, which impacted team stability and morale.
