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
Feb 11, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-incredibly smart, kind, approachable employees -product is in a space that is more and more interesting with the rise of AI -company genuinely cares to be AI Native and each department has objectives associated with that goal- keeps employee skillsets relevant and keeps employees learning and growing -free in office lunches which is a small, yet enjoyable daily delight - the people here are genuinely happy, there is really interesting work to be done and the company is there to support you. after having worked at several different tech companies in NYC, I can say this one stands out

Cons

-create more opportunities of connection amongst the broader team, the people here are awesome and sometimes difficult to meet people that aren't on your team or direct cross functional partners

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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