Pros
Look, I’m not here to make one of those flimsy, easy to spot, “Everything is fine!” reviews to get you to ignore the experiences that are posted on this page. I want to give some additional context, and hopefully provide a more complete picture of the company. In my opinion, it’s not perfect, but it’s not quite as bleak as the picture you are getting here either. Whoever you are reading this, I hope you’ll take a moment to consider this review. I want to start with some important context, the cannabis and vape space have seen and will continue to see incredible volatility. That’s the reality of working in an emerging industry (much like crypto), especially one that is not yet legal at the federal level in the United States. This is a reality of working in our industry, so if a constantly shifting landscape is not something you find invigorating or exciting, we are probably not a great fit for you. Before I get into why I think that now, compared to anytime in the last 2 years, is a good time to join the company I want to give you a quick history of how we got into the situation we find ourselves in today. In 2019, PAX had a massive funding round ($420 million). It was awarded at a very exciting time when the industry was rapidly growing and inflating, but as we neared the end of 2019 the bubble burst and the industry contracted. In a span of 2 months, PAX’s CEO had stepped down, we had a RIF (Reduction in Force) to reduce cash burn, and no clear company strategy for future. To make matters worse, hot on the heels of an industry-wide shake up was the Juul teen vaping crisis and the blackmarket THC scare, a period of time we at the company refer to as “Vape Gate.” I will spare you the unpleasant details, but what followed was a year and a half with no formal CEO, no clear company strategy, and to top it all off, a global pandemic. I won’t lie to you, it sucked. People were stressed out, frustrated, and unhappy; and I’ll be honest, leadership did not handle employee moral or communication particularly well. But what I did see, was a steadfast employee base who continued to believe whole-heartedly in the potential of Cannabis as a force for good, and PAX’s role as a leader in the industry. That unwavering belief in an abstract mission “Establishing cannabis as a force for good” can only take you so far though, and for many employees the need for greater stability led them to leave the company. I understand why people have left PAX. Your job is a major part of your life and if something is no longer a good fit, the you should do what is right for you and move onto something that is. For many of the people who have left, it was the necessary end to a messy and stressful chapter that had dominated their lives for the last two years. The things that were written in these reviews were valid. So, why with all of this, would anyone in their right mind work for PAX? I believe we are on the upswing. We have a full-time CEO, and a plan for the future. The employees that still remain are deeply passionate and talented, and despite years of chaos, have remained at the company because we still believe in the work we are doing and we still want to be here. PAX is starting a new chapter, one that I am excited to be a part of and will be defined by increased stability. We are still one of the most well-funded cannabis start-ups, we have big plans for the future, and we create word-class products in one of the most exciting industries in the world.. We need bright, driven, and passionate people to help us build on the hard-won positive momentum we are creating now. As for Adam our CEO? If you are not familiar with Adam (or his mentor from Yahoo), let’s go through the PROs. His attention to detail, drive for product excellence, and consumer driven thinking are awesome, and his leadership style, while a touch *intense* at first has grown and improved in response to employee feedback. Now that he is more fully integrated into the company, I can honestly say I am glad to have him here at PAX.
Cons
Since this is where we left off, let’s start with Adam and leadership. When Adam joined, PAX employees were ground down and burnt out. We wanted (and needed) someone who would come in and support us in the ways we had desperately needed over the last 2 years. Things were wildly disorganized internally, and the management team in place had pretty much lost the trust of the employees. Adam, for better or worse, came in and wanted to immediately get to work on fixing what was broken. But, what the employees really needed was for leadership to pause and acknowledge the emotional baggage and history before driving hard towards our better and brighter future. As one employee described it “it’s like Adam has dropped in on the last mile of a marathon fresh, energized and ready to go, but we are struggling to even keep ourselves upright and moving forward.” I’ll be honest, in the emotionally charged atmosphere that PAX already had, things did not get off on a perfect foot. For many of the employees that had hung on by their fingernails over the last few years, it was the straw that broke the camels back. In fairness to Adam, I think that after 2 years of instability at work, and a global pandemic, it may have just been time for some of the current employees to move on and close this chapter in their lives. Beyond that? The biggest thing that is challenging PAX right now is back-filling the departures. If you look at our website we have tons of open roles and it puts increased pressure on the employees that are still here to cover the gaps. New hires are the best news of the week because it continues to shift the tide in a more positive direction. New energy, new ideas, and increased support for the incredible employees that remain at this company.