Replicant Reviews

- As its standard with any startup, the product was developed in a haste to bring in clients and revenue. However, even after raising Series B, this is still the case. Business is still focusing on bringing revenue so much so that they are forgetting about the people who are doing the actual work. - This hastily developed product has many failing points. Rather than fixing them to solidify the product, company is always looking at fancy new ideas to bring in more revenue. - To meet the revenue expectations, business keeps changing the goal post every month. This leads to engineers suffering and working extra hours to deliver this changed goal post. There have been couple of instances where business dropped the very idea that would've improved engineers life just to focus on business goals. - Company spends most of the cash on sales, marketing, and rightfully so. However, even the promotions are also only given in these departments. No single promotion has happened in engineering department in the last 2 years I have been at the company. - There is more work than people. Company is always late in hiring. In addition to that, theres always urgency and tight timelines in everything we do. So expect to work extra hours almost all the time. Say good bye to work life balance. Senior engineers are more susceptible to this. They are working 3/4 different roles under the ambiguous "Senior Engineer" role. Due to this, the compensation offered seems dwarfed in comparison to other companies with similar role.

1. **Management Training**: During my stint, it became clear that many dev managers were not only lacking in people management skills but also weren't exactly shining stars in coding either. Leading effectively and navigating the technical aspects seemed to be a common struggle. 2. **Compensation**: The salaries didn't quite match up with the industry standards. As someone who was part of the team, it often felt disheartening to see the effort not reflected in the compensation. 3. **Work-Life Balance**: The company culture seemed to put those who worked themselves to the brink on a pedestal. This approach, especially in a fully remote setup, contributed to a sense of burnout and a not-so-great virtual work environment. 4. **Team Dynamics**: The air was often filled with a sense of tension and passive-aggressive behavior among colleagues. Without the physical office space, these issues felt magnified and affected our online interactions. 5. **Recognition and Rewards**: Appreciation for putting in extra hours, not just over weekends but during long nights too, often came in the form of snack boxes. While the gesture was nice, something that acknowledged the extent of our commitment more significantly would have been more meaningful. 6. **Vacation Policy**: The touted "unlimited" vacation policy was, in reality, a bit of a stretch. It seemed like there was a silent agreement that three weeks was the max, unless you were among the few considered top performers. 7. **Company Outings**: The much-anticipated annual trips, designed to boost team spirit, were challenging to enjoy fully due to the workload before and after these events. Moreover, the mix of open bars and subsequent talks on moderation seemed out of place, especially considering our remote work setting. Reflecting on my time there, it's clear there were several areas ripe for improvement. Sharing these insights, I hope, can pave the way for better experiences for those who are still part of the team.