Pros
-Interesting technical challenges -Company has definite potential -Most colleagues are smart and enjoyable to work with; good team dynamic -Opportunities for on-the-job learning, if you're good at self-directed skill acquisition. Plenty of room for increased responsibilities and knowledge growth. -Free lunch and snacks for in-person employees -Definite progress towards more structure, transitioning from an early startup to a more stable business. Effort is being put in to standards, documentation, and organizational structure. -Average to competitive compensation -Pretty good international diversity; they've sponsored work visas in the past and we have employees from all over the world.
Cons
-Nepotism is a major issue, especially within upper management. Some cronyism too, although to a lesser extent. -Poor communication chain between upper management and workers - company goals (for technology, schedule) don't always align with what's practical. Lower/mid-level managers don't have a say in what's promised to customers, which would be fine except that top management doesn't check whether what they're advertising is possible. Because of this, the company has a history of over-promising and then scrambling to meet deadlines and lower customers' expectations. -Increased responsibilities, leadership roles, and skills don't always come with matching increases in title, compensation, and top-down recognition. Management positions are hired from outside the company; it's rare to see internal promotion. -Really high turnover (even for a startup) doesn't help with the consistency issue, and with a small company, this means some subject matter specializations aren't consistently filled. We've lost a lot of dedicated employees and experts who can't be easily replaced to issues with upper management and C.E.O. -Not great gender diversity; somewhat below average, even when compared with other tech startups