Passionate, brilliant people dedicated to growing and learning fast
Pros
Stride hires EXTREMELY well. This is a group of some of the most brilliant and mission-driven people I've worked with. I learned as much from my fellow Striders as I did from the challenging work itself. And it was always impressive to me that even as the company quickly doubled and tripled in size, the sense of purpose was still palpable in every new employee. I'm surprised at some of the negative reviews and doubt that they represent the views of the majority of Striders, even those who have left like myself. There have definitely been some growing pains and issues with culture, which I'll get to. But these reviews seem overly vindictive. What I understand from current Striders is that the company has been listening and working hard to course correct the cultural problems. It is obvious from the newly released list of values that the leadership has done a lot of soul searching and is making culture much more of a priority. It’s a smart move because you want to hang onto people who are this special! Other pros: - Solving a challenging problem for a growing self-employed workforce = meaningful, interesting work with great potential for growth - Benefits on par or better than much larger companies - Management who really care about people as individuals not just as contributors to the bottom line - Dog-friendly office! - Beautiful space in SOMA with well-stocked snacks - Young, diverse team that enjoys spending time together in and out of the office
Cons
Stride is a young company that has experienced some growing pains. The biggest challenges have been around setting specific goals, communicating them clearly, and sticking to them. This was partially inevitable as we iterated on our products and learned more about our members and what they really needed. If anything that speaks well for the leadership’s ability to learn and pivot. I know some employees who were dead set on solving problems in the healthcare space never really got on board with the expanded mission. I think the leadership has done a lot of work on improving communication and transparency, and of course any new hires are sure to be fully invested in the new mission. By the time I left, goals were well defined and well communicated, which made a huge difference in our ability to focus and make decisions. There was also a period in which Stride’s culture suffered as a result of valuing grit and ambition over cooperation and trust. Lack of trust between teams and also from management affected our process too, slowing things down, either by debating over ownership, requiring excessive documentation to justify decisions, or questioning decisions late in a project. I’m pleased to see the new values the company has released, which demonstrate that the leadership is committed to improving the culture. Current Striders I know already feel more empowered and appreciated and I expect it’s going to keep getting better. Open Enrollment (the busiest sales period) is tough, but it gets easier (and shorter!) every year. It also actually builds a ton of camaraderie within the team. As long as leadership continues to set clear expectations up front, it’s no worse than any other busy season.
