Pros
The domain is incredibly interesting, high-frequency trading is complex and challenging and that's exactly what I liked about it. The team is made up of smart, kind, and genuinely supportive people. It’s a respectful workplace where your opinions are valued - and good work getting acknowledged. Also - the compensation is pretty competitive to the market and company success can be translated to your own success. I think there's a lot of freedom to pursue things you’re passionate about - if you are able to advocate the "why now" and "how" well enough.
Cons
Experienced and mature engineers will succeed here better - mainly because you need to manage your time and communicate well enough to other stakeholders. Also - product stability is a big deal here, which means the "move fast and break things" mentality does not really work here. You have to be thoughtful in what you do since product availability translates to money - and this can feel slower at times.