Pros
The CEO has a charming and highly confident personality. He has the deep financial market experience and was a top performer in his previous endeavours. Being a startup, you get to learn many new skills that you can't find elsewhere; including: - The computers were decades old, so you get to learn to be patient and creative in writing efficient codes. - Since the company can't afford a luxurious buffet and you got below the market pay, you need to watch your wallet carefully. It was a great way to trim down your waistline. - The company implemented a result-oriented pay scheme for interns. The interns who do not perform to the highest standard do not get paid. - The CEO would push you to your best performance. You were encouraged to work 996 (i.e. 9 am to 9 pm, Monday to Saturday). Many ex-staff are currently high performers in their new companies. - You will enjoy company stock options, that can be valued over millions when the company get listed. These stock options were reserved for the employees who contributed beyond the baseline. No employee reached that baseline so far, so there were plenty of stock options to give out. - Since this was a small company, you got to do learn and do everything. - The CEO was highly motivated. He liked to send long and berating emails to motivate the staff. This would push your mental limit. It was highly useful for your future survival in other companies. - The company has created the best investment analytics ever. It was a matter of time for some companies to start using it. When that day comes, the company would be valued in billions. There were simply nowhere else for you to learn so many reality of life in a confined and well-protected environment.
Cons
There was absolutely no downside in the company. Some people call the CEO a narcissist. This was a grossly unfair statement. With a limited budget, the CEO had been taking on multiple roles as the senior management, the HR manager, the salesperson, the program manager, the quantitative analyst and the professor. With such a broad amount of works, the company required a person with such personality.
