Pros
Room to contribute if you're not dependent on the central team
Exposure to fintech infrastructure and payment gateway concepts
Cons
1. The core product is centralized among a few individuals, but only one person has the authority to integrate or support dependent applications.
2. This creates a single point of failure — both technically and politically.
3. If your product needs data or features from the core product, expect long delays, vague communication, or complete deprioritization — even for critical features.
4. The person controlling the core integration can block delivery and still rate your performance, despite not being your manager. There’s no 360° review or escalation path.
5. Feedback and performance reviews are not contextual or fair — especially when delays are caused by others.
6. People are labeled as “low performers” after being set up to fail. I've personally experienced this dynamic.
7. No formal governance around internal dependencies, and poor support for inter-team collaboration
Advice to Candidates:
If you're a software engineer hoping to contribute to the payment gateway core product, temper your expectations. You likely won't get access or authority, and you'll be at the mercy of one gatekeeper with no guarantee of support. Your delivery will depend on factors outside your control — and so will your performance review.