-Nepotism is a major issue, especially within upper management. Some cronyism too, although to a lesser extent.
-Poor communication chain between upper management and workers - company goals (for technology, schedule) don't always align with what's practical. Lower/mid-level managers don't have a say in what's promised to customers, which would be fine except that top management doesn't check whether what they're advertising is possible. Because of this, the company has a history of over-promising and then scrambling to meet deadlines and lower customers' expectations.
-Increased responsibilities, leadership roles, and skills don't always come with matching increases in title, compensation, and top-down recognition. Management positions are hired from outside the company; it's rare to see internal promotion.
-Really high turnover (even for a startup) doesn't help with the consistency issue, and with a small company, this means some subject matter specializations aren't consistently filled. We've lost a lot of dedicated employees and experts who can't be easily replaced to issues with upper management and C.E.O.
-Not great gender diversity; somewhat below average, even when compared with other tech startups