Close Reviews

Pros

The company culture is really great. There's a culture around transparency and no BS. No wasting time sitting in pointless meetings. If you think something needs to change, you're encouraged to say so. If you feel you need clarification on something (e.g. during a presentation), you're encouraged to ask. Decisions are data driven. Discussions are productive and focused on outcomes. The people I work will really are professionals and are fantastic to work with. There's nobody who could leave and I wouldn't care (and this definitely wasn't true in some previous places I've worked). I feel like I'm trusted and empowered to actually do the work that needs to be done. There's enough difficult problems that there's always something interesting to work on. I think I've literally used this phase when talking to some former colleagues: "Turns out sometimes the grass actually is greener."

Cons

None really to speak of. I feel comfortable having frank conversations about anything that comes up, and these usually turn into collaborative discussions about "how can we solve this problem?".

Pros

Working at Close has been a blast! When I applied to work there, I read all the Glassdoor reviews and to be honest, was kinda like, "Sure, yeah, whatever - this is probably the typical 'Glassdoor window dressing' stuff." So while I was excited about accepting an offer to work with their team, I was also a bit skeptical that my perception of great people doing great work would be quickly disappointed, so I lowered my expectations preparing to be mildly disappointed. Amazingly, I haven't been disappointed at all - actually, surprised by how legitimately kind, humble, and thoughtful the team is to work alongside daily. We joke, we laugh, we work hard - and working with people who care about their customers and the results (and how they achieve those results!) is a total breathe of fresh air. After starting here, I was given a copy of the book "Rework" written by Jason Friedman and DHH from Basecamp as a, "Hey, read this - it explains a lot of how we think about what we do." I was already a huge fan of how Basecamp operates, so I was immediately impressed. As the months continued, I've had more experiences that show the company lives up to the hype. For example, one evening my manager basically (kindly) scolded me for NOT having my "Do Not Disturb" enabled on Slack so I can unplug from my work when I'm not at my desk. Who does that stuff these days??? So awesome. There's a prevailing sense of confident-humility that's quick to own up to poor decisions, acknowledges real skill and ability, praises good choices, and defaults toward action and getting stuff done. Close has some many people scattered around the world from different cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities - and I feel like I'm continually learning from their life experiences and perspectives as well.

Cons

It's not for everyone. If amid uncertainty, you don't naturally default toward action (e.g., "I'm not sure, but I can figure it out..."), you likely won't be a fit at Close. In that same vein, you likely won't be a fit if you're intimidated to ask questions - even seemingly silly ones. As a culture, we question ourselves, our peers, our processes, and choices from last week, month, or year. So if you're not comfortable reconsidering what seemed best yesterday - or asking questions about it, you likely won't be a fit. The team works hard but has strong expectations that you unplug, step away, and recharge - and if you can't manage yourself (both by showing up and also showing yourself out), you likely won't be a fit here. Additionally, a common denominator here is the ability to admit when you're wrong - but also a strength in being able to stand behind your decisions. In other words, owning your work, outcomes, and choices. No one acts defeated or like a whipped puppy. The culture is warm, forgiving, and supportive - but if you're more about defending your actions (defensive) than owning the results (humble strength), you'll likely struggle with the open and honest culture.

Pros

I can't stress enough how much emphasis is placed on deliverables over "number of hours worked" in a given week. Managers and the CEO work extremely hard with individual contributors to agree on realistic projects, deadlines, deliverables and to empower employees to go out and do what they're hired to do. There's very little oversight from managers on a daily basis, as they fully trust people to go out and execute on the tasks that are mutually agreed upon. Another major plus has been how few meetings the company has in general.. it varies a bit based on team/role, but there's never a useless meeting to talk just for the sake of "talking" about a project, campaign or goal. We have great weekly team meetings over Zoom and then split off into groups of 3 for more personal, fun conversations with each other, and then it's off to the races. The twice yearly, week-long team retreats are also some of the most fun I've ever had with a company work trip.

Cons

Right now I'm six months into my role full-time after being a contractor for the previous year, and there have been pretty much zero cons. Everyone (and everything) has been exactly as represented during the interview process and whenever there's a little thing I'm frustrated about or want to change in my workflow, the minute I express that to my manager, we have a very open dialogue about how to solve it and get to a place where everyone's happy and the ship keeps moving in the right direction.

Pros

When first joining the Close.io - I was a bit concerned that "remote" would really translate into "out of the loop." Having worked at companies with an HQ and remote teams, this was the norm. However, once I started, I was blown away at how wrong I was. A lot of that comes from the fact that everyone is remote, not just you, so there's a common understanding of what everyone needs from each other. Also, we hire from all across the globe, so you'll be working with some of the most interesting people you can find. Everyone believes in what we're set out to help people accomplish, and in a customer facing role, you get to see that impact every day.

Cons

This is not a con for me, but I wouldn't recommend this job if you're not a self-starter. People will probably say that about any job, but it's especially true when you're working at a small remote company that produces like teams 2-3x it's size. There's little time for oversight and direction, so you're given a high level of autonomy and expected to run with it. If that doesn't sound appealing, then this might not be the company for you.

Pros

Close.io is redefining what a workplace can be. First, it's gone totally remote, with employees all over the world, communicating in real time with online tools. Second, there is no politicking, no cliques, no bulls***. Just a group of highly talented, intelligent, diverse, and interesting individuals who excel at direct communication. Thirdly, because of the small team size and the company's flexibility, there's room here to make your job what you want it to be (within reason). I have been able to champion and action projects that I feel strongly about, work the hours that make sense for me (and my customers), and have a voice when it comes to future company decisions. The sense of team here is strong and not just with people I work with every day. The company was built on the co-founders' strong relationship and that same trust is present today with each new team member that joins.

Cons

The team is figuring out the best way to be remote workers - meaning and significance of communication can get lost if we're only communicating via typing. Video chats, in person team retreats, small customer meet up groups, and travel together has really helped here.

Pros

Where do I start...?! ;) 1) The freedom to work from anywhere in the world and create my own full-time schedule. 2) The exceptional talents (and personalities) that drive the company. This is an organization that encourages the entrepreneurial spirit; a place where professional growth and personal development are truly apparent. They place a lot of trust to begin with so if you need structure, encouragement or praise, that's not something you'll find consistently here. You're expected to take ownership and bring the best version of yourself to the table. They offer a lot of great benefits for such a small company (health insurance, 401k, equipment, excellent PTO.. etc). Super reasonable and approachable leaders and the longevity on the team is pretty outstanding.

Cons

Remote working has it's downsides but I wouldn't trade that in for an office job anytime soon. It's part of my job to make sure communication and culture stays alive so any complaints about this are my own doing.

Pros

Close.io took a chance on me. I couldn't have been less qualified for the job I was given, but they saw something they liked and took a gamble. I think that's been my biggest takeaway: Close.io believes in people. They believe in their employees, their prospects, their customers, and even their competitor's customers. It's an amazing environment to be a part of

Cons

As of writing, Close.io is still developing a uniform way to connect a team that is spread out across the world. With everyone in different time-zones, it can be hard to stay up-to-date on everything that's going on.