Strong engineers and technology, but inconsistent management and unsafe feedback culture - Senior Staff Software Engineer Cockroach Labs Employee Review

2.0
Jan 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

• Exceptionally smart, thoughtful engineers who care deeply about the technology • The core database is genuinely impressive and technically interesting • Generally kind and collaborative culture among individual contributors • Good work-life balance relative to many startups • Remote-friendly and flexible work environment

Cons

• Inconsistent and often contradictory feedback from management • First-time managers placed in high-stakes roles without sufficient training or support • Performance expectations were vague and shifted over time • Feedback often felt disconnected from actual work quality or outcomes • Frontend and product experience work is under-prioritized and under-resourced • Tooling, testing practices, and frontend engineering maturity lag behind where they should be • Lack of clear long-term strategy for the cloud product and user experience • Career growth and promotion paths are not transparent • Leadership communication is often overly optimistic and not grounded in day-to-day reality

Explore other reviews about Cockroach Labs

5.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The folks here are really great to work with. You can feel the energy without being onsite. Everyone loves the company and the value that we bring to our customers. The perks are good. The benefits are good. The pay is good. I had a great manager and skip-level manager. Met with me often and gave me clear objectives. There was no ambiguity.

Cons

I dont think I was here long enough to find any cons.

3.0
May 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work life balance. Generally friendly people. Solid initial pay, though don't expect any raises. Good benefits.

Cons

Became extremely political after prior leadership transitions. Flatness of the company structure completely dissipated. Management plays favorites. Very Machiavellian now - management will cut employees at a moments notice. Culture has totally shifted, though still some residual positivity from those still left prior to the leadership change. No internal opportunities for growth, no internal pay raises. People will take credit for your work to make themselves look better.

2
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