Pros
You get a free stuffed animal Kiwi bird when you join
Cons
Chatous and its leadership talk a big game. They make grandiose statements about the company's potential and are practiced at making you believe that your future there will be bright. Before you sign on, take a good look under the hood.
Here's what you'll find:
- A hostile and unstable work environment. The company is led by a 24-year-old with no management experience who is easily agitated when anyone disagrees with him or when things don't go his way. He openly berates employees in public, often for mistakes he made. We're talking yelling, swearing, and making personal insults to employees without which the company would not exist. After making these insults, he can be angelic to the same employees the next day. He is unpredictable; you never know who he'll lash out at next. During one period in which employees were suddenly fired within days of each other, the engineers began referring to work as "The Hunger Games."
- Zero structure in any department. Schedules for releases are hopeful, at best. Push for structure is ignored or punished.
- Lack of innovation and self-awareness. The leadership openly jokes about the fact that Kiwi is a product they made to "spite" ask.fm. Chatous is a copy of Omegle/ Chatroulette and Plaza copies Craigslist, Wallapop, and others.
If you are still tempted to jump, I encourage you to spend a day in the Chatous office and talk with current and former employees before you make a move. Consider yourself warned.