Pros
From outside Deezer has plenty of assets to attract candidates, at least in France : nice success story in the French tech, well-know brand, must be dynamic, data focused, high tech, in a market where there is still a lot of things to invent. And it’s about music so it’s sexy. You arrive on your first day full of energy and willing to be part of a great adventure. The reality is very different and you will progressively understand that you got it all wrong. The good thing about Deezer ? The people who work there are super friendly, self-motivated and actually trying to achieve things. Great offices in Paris. You hear music and about music all the time.
Cons
No strategy. No vision. A CEO that tells you that there is no need for a vision. Lot of money spent for no results. Most decisions by the top-management are made without looking at and understanding what has been done before, without using data properly, without getting insights from people who work there, and in a very authoritarian way. Actually, the management style is closer to the one from massive corporation in the 50s but has nothing to do in the tech world. Being motivated, dedicated to the job, willing to move forward are not values that are important in that company. Being good at your job, having good performance review and reaching your targets are not that important either. So you’d better stop know because you will just make yourself tired and unhappy. Instead you just need to talk a lot about all the things you are going to do, even if you do nothing that is not a problem, try to get more power by stealing the scope of your colleagues, try to be friends with the "right" people. While you’re working there you are seriouly spending your time not understanding most of the things that are happening and wondering how such a great story with all those great people has turned into such a messy and frustrating environment. That is probably the most impressive achievement so far.