Compare LendingClub vs Patreon BETA

Pros

I cannot recommend Patreon enough for anybody that asks me. The whole process from the very first recruitment email to joining the company and working here was just incredible. So, I applied for... a position at Patreon and shortly I received an email from the recruiter, who happened to be just wonderful and just quite pleasant to talk to. We discussed my experience and she shared the role's information and budget. Afterwards, I did a series of short-to-medium interviews with a couple of people, ranging from the direct manager to people in other functions in the department. They were all incredibly kind, supportive, and easy to talk to. The interviews did not seem stressful at all. They were more like friendly conversations than conventional or old-fashioned. The pleasant demeanor and support I felt during the interviews made me enthusiastic about joining Patreon. Now comes the waiting part. The wait time wasn't long. The recruiter was the utmost professional I wish more people would be like. She communicated with me numerous times, offered updates about how the team felt about me from my interviews, and kept me informed of what's happening. It's a small thing to do from a recruiter but a big thing in a candidate's eyes. I really appreciated this part as a candidate and I'm sure a lot of potential hires feel the same way. She even offered to speed up the process a few times in case I needed an urgent answer from them, which I didn't. I understand recruiting new people is a big decision for a company and they need time to make sure they're investing in the right people. Days later, I got a response back from the recruiter. They wanted me! Patreon offered me exactly the salary I wanted and requested during our first call. I didn't have to negotiate. I didn't have to beg. They didn't play the daunting and exhausting game of offering something lower to put me in a position to ask for more money, which I hate doing. It was such a refreshing behavior from a company that looked passionate and wanted me. It felt really nice to know Patreon really valued me. On top of that, they even offered me an exceptional RSU/equity package that I could only dream off. All this was in addition to the many standard and non-standard, wonderful benefits they offer to all their employees. Patreon really seems to care about their employees and respects them. On the first day, you get to talk to the CEO of the company directly, offer insights and ideas, and see him deliver a presentation on how Patreon was started from a simple idea born out of a personal experience he had gone through to this great company. I felt this was special, to be able to connect and talk directly to the CEO. And it wasn't a company-wide presentation. Only a handful of new hires. He took time out of his busy schedule to welcome us and talk to us. I can't stress enough how, as a new employee, I was appreciative of this! It definitely signals positive things about how the company is run. My team and my direct manager have got to be some of the nicest people anyone can work with. They're always kind and approachable. And they are supportive of each other. I feel they want me to grow with them and grow together as a team. It's beautiful to see how coworkers care about each other, especially in this day and age. And they're not alone in this. It seems the entire company is filled with people with similar attitudes. Regardless of any department one might join, I believe only positive things can be said about the work culture at Patreon.

Cons

I am a realist and I realize every company has pros and cons. No company is perfect and it is unreasonable to ask for perfection from any company. That being said, I haven't seen any red flags so far.... The vibe I got from the CEO and people who work here is that Patreon values new ideas and suggestions. The CEO asked us on the first day to explicitly think of ways the company can run better, rather than just to accept things the way they are. I believe this is an excellent first step towards creating a collaborative and supportive atmosphere.

Advice to Management

Keep doing what you're doing. Employees are noticing your efforts and reciprocating back.