Worst CEO of All Time - Anonymous employee safeXai Employee Review

1.0
26 Sept 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Banjo has a good sales pitch when recruiting people and is able to draw in good talent, but once people find out the truth about the company and poor working conditions they all leave.

Cons

I've worked with scores of CEOs in my professional career and Damien is far and away the worst leader I've ever seen. He is extremely insecure and creates a "submissive" culture based on intimidation and fear. He is a talented programmer, but that's about it. He's is in way over his head with regards to leadership and has no idea what he's doing running an organization. He has burned through all the talent in Park City and has created a horrible reputation locally. The company is unprofitable and the biggest thing holding it back is their "leader".

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safeXai Response
7y
I'm a current employee at Banjo and I asked HR if I could write this response because it was so misguided. While our team understands the fast pace of the start-up world isn't for everyone, it's certainly not the fault of the CEO. He is the very reason so many people have been here for years and years. Yes, we work very hard at Banjo, but to say we have poor working conditions is simply ridiculous. Expressing such personal bitterness is not fair and does not speak to the other people working here who love this company and our beautiful office in Park City. I get stopped everywhere I go when people see my Banjo shirt and everyone I've met in the local community - either in bars, the hiking trails, the slopes, or the streets - knows Banjo and digs what were up to because we are trying to do good things in the world.

Explore other reviews about safeXai

5.0
10 June 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I will list three reasons why I enjoy working as a dev at Banjo. 1) Justin Lindsey (JL) is a very personable CEO. He does a great job of getting to know his employees and recognizing their hard work. 2) Engineers are given autonomy and trust. We are not micromanaged (so long as we prove that we don't need to be). 3) The company fosters a supportive environment. Shortly after I joined the team, many devs reached out to welcome me to the team.

Cons

Hmmm I am required to write five words here, but there are not any cons that come to mind.

3
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safeXai Response
6y
Thanks for sharing your experience. We're excited to hear your time at Banjo has been enjoyable and we're happy to have you on the team! Engineers make up the majority of our team and we consider ourselves beyond lucky to have so many innovative thinkers. We believe that autonomy supports creativity and diversity in thought which allows our team to solve unique and challenging problems. Thanks for being a part of our success!
4.0
20 June 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Strong team members that understand big picture -Company dedicates itself to growth and success daily, from an individual entry level position all the way up to the CEO -Pave your own way mentality: titles won't be outright given, people have to earn them, but if they put in the work, their efforts are rewarded. -A startup solving an existential problem that has a pulse on the individual contributor. All ideas are met with possibility, maybe not all executed or implemented, but definitely addressed in some way. No idea is too grand or impossible, if it's a good one, it can and will be implemented for the betterment of the team. -Open Door Policy: Entry-level team members have opportunities to communicate with and learn from executives on a regular basis, providing growth and support along the way of an individual's time at the company. -Work hard to play hard: company has exciting incentives that are happening all the time, from bonuses to outings. -Adaptable open-minded work environment: team members put in what it takes to get to where they need to be, adapt to changes in tech constantly and keep a positive and open mental attitude about it, most people from less demanding work environments do not stay, making the culture full of people who are extremely dedicated to the company.

Cons

-Demands of team don't always match up with tech updates -Due to the sporadic, intense (yet exciting), day-to-day, communication and transparency from upper management can't always be executed in a timely manner, producing unintended consequences at times.

2
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safeXai Response
7y
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for Banjo! We are happy to hear that our people feel they are part of a strong team dynamic where everyone sees the big picture and wants to achieve our mission! That’s exactly why we only hire the best of the best! We love that as a smaller company where everyone knows one another, our people are able to communicate and collaborate with one another. Our people respect one another and are always willing to help each other grow, both professionally and personally. The technology world is ever-changing and we couldn’t agree more, it is important to be positive and open-minded when starting new projects or solving complex issues! We appreciate all of your feedback and have been working on more transparency from department to department as well as more consistent feedback to all of our employees. We appreciate all of your hard work and dedication! #teambanjo
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