ColorTokens was one of the most frustrating and disorganized experiences of my career.
The first warning sign appeared during the hiring process itself which involved multiple rounds spread across a long period of time. At the time I assumed it was just inefficiency. Looking back, it reflected how things operate internally here.
For a company that has been around for more than a decade, it still functions like an early-stage startup, but without the benefits of being one. Processes are either missing, poorly defined, inconsistently followed, or heavily dependent on individual managers. Standard operating procedures exist only on paper, I wonder how they pass audits. There is very little standardization, accountability, or consistency in how work gets planned and executed.
One of the biggest problems is the lack of stability in management and priorities. Leadership expectations change frequently and every manager seems to have a different interpretation of what success looks like. Priorities shift overnight depending on who is driving the discussion, and work that was considered important one quarter can suddenly become irrelevant the next.
What made this especially difficult was the lack of alignment across leadership. Product, engineering, sales, support, and customer-facing teams often appeared to be operating with completely different objectives. One group would prioritize sales enablement and customer evaluations, another would prioritize feature development and employees were expected to satisfy all of them simultaneously.
The company talks a lot about ownership, accountability, and proactiveness. However, it is difficult to demonstrate ownership when priorities constantly change and expectations vary significantly depending on which leader is evaluating your work.
Employees are often assigned responsibilities outside their core role and then later questioned on why their primary responsibilities are not receiving enough attention.
The environment often feels reactive rather than strategic. Decisions are driven by immediate pressures rather than long-term planning.
There were also operational issues that did not inspire confidence. Even basic HR and payroll processes felt unnecessarily difficult. In my case, payroll-related issues occurred despite all required documentation being provided correctly. While issues can happen anywhere, it contributed to a broader feeling that internal processes lacked rigor and ownership.
Another concern is employee retention and exits, there appeared to be a regular pattern of employees leaving or being asked to leave. While turnover happens in every organization, the frequency raised concerns about the underlying management culture.
My own exit was particularly disappointing. Rather than being provided with clearly defined expectations, measurable goals, or a structured process, the separation process felt largely predetermined. There was no meaningful effort to establish consistent expectations despite changing leadership and priorities. Instead, resignation was presented as the preferred path forward.
The unfortunate part is that the company does have talented and hardworking people. Many individuals genuinely work hard. Unfortunately, talent alone cannot compensate for inconsistent leadership, unclear direction, frequent management changes, and constantly shifting priorities.
