Death Spiral - Anonymous employee Productboard Employee Review

1.0
19 Jan 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Hardest working, smartest, kindest, most creative people I’ve ever worked with.

Cons

I say this with all sincerity - unless you’re on the verge of homelessness, do not join this company. You will likely be out of a job within 6-months as it feels like it’s in a death spiral. Maybe you’ve even experienced this before - being asked to do worthless things that are ineffective and reek of desperation, having to listen to the CEO’s unhinged rambling and his execs spin spin spin (or in some cases just flat out lie), watch critical product improvements get delayed months, sometimes years. In the last year, there have been three “official” layoffs, but an uncountable number of unofficial ones, where people are just there one day and gone the next. A new president came in and hired up a team of enterprise dudes (that’s right - all men) who will quickly discover the product is unsellable to large companies. And unusable to current customers, who are churning faster than anyone can keep track (CEO will say the problem is just on the commercial side - it’s not). Leads from marketing are drying up, as the new CMO is a puppet for the president, an unprofessional gossiper, but most concerning - does not understand demand generation. All of these things (despite how Hubert might spin it) point in one obvious direction - make the company appear profitable and product-focused in the hopes of getting sold quickly.

Explore other reviews about Productboard

5.0
17 Apr 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working for Productboard is a dream come true. Though I didn't know what we did before joining, our Product, People, and Customers are delightful at every turn. There are also great benefits like an in-person company kick-off, performance-based bonuses, healthcare, and more. I get to work remotely, but this isn't common in our hiring for current roles with the majority being hybrid.

Cons

Productboard is a startup so that means the future of the Product can change in a moment. This can be frustrating for customers and is something to settle in to and try your best to attend to their needs. Our leadership is supportive and doesn't make lofty assumptions on what's possible.

2
2.0
30 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Strong, thoughtful colleagues across the organization A shared drive to succeed and push the business forward Competitive perks and overall employee experience Meaningful investment in helping employees build AI fluency relevant to their roles

Cons

Increasingly challenging leadership dynamics at the executive level A noticeable rise in internal politics Lack of gender diversity within the executive team The company recently went through a reduction in force. While workforce changes are not uncommon, especially in companies navigating transformation, the execution left many of us with deep concerns. The new CFO, in particular, has raised some real concerns around trust and leadership style. At the company kick-off in February, he openly joked that people would probably see him as the *hole, and that even though he might make people’s lives difficult, they’d still end up liking him. This joke landed poorly and felt more like a signal than something to smile about. Since then, the environment has started to feel increasingly political. There’s a sense that you either stay in the CFO's good graces or risk becoming a target. That dynamic has been called out openly, which makes it even more uncomfortable. Whether intentional or not, that perception has had an impact on morale. Overall, it’s created a culture that feels less about collaboration and more about navigating personalities and political power plays.

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