Pros
The work itself was interesting and I felt creatively challenged in a way that felt both exciting and fulfilling, for a time. My peers were intelligent, kind, and supportive of each other which quickly became a necessity to survive in what could often feel like a relentless working pace with high expectations. I've built genuine relationships here that I'm grateful for to this day. Decent benefits with company sponsored healthcare premiums
Cons
I was excited to be a part of this company in the beginning. Their seemingly broad experience, extensive client list, and all the incredibly talented individuals on the team made for an impressive resume. But shortly after joining, during what was communicated as a time of growth, nearly half of the team was either replaced, terminated, or just plain disappeared in the middle of the day without explaination. For <20 person company, there was so little transparency. Leadership often spoke about the importance of company culture, but consisently demonstrated a lack of trust for their people. Founders operated in a vacuum, and client needs were prioritized over team wellbeing. This made it hard to feel valued as an employee or trust that decisions leadership made were in anyone's best interest other than their own. Taxing work and complex projects were often sold at a discount or with reduced and unrealistic timelines. Overtime was expected, and concerns about work-life balance were brushed aside or belittled. Unsurprisingly, the unlimited PTO policy was challenging to take advantage of; working on vacation was not uncommon and occassionally expected. In the end, the business folded without warning or without any real support for the team that dedicated so much of their personal and professional time to making this company successful. The entire team (except for the founders and their husbands) were let go without severance, after being assured just weeks prior by leadership that the company was in a position to ride out the current dry spell. Perhaps the greatest disappointment of all was that on two seperate occasions, female team members were let go right before maternity leave. From a company that absolutely prides and markets itself on being woman-founded and woman-run business, I found their actions to be in direct conflict with the values they preached on more than one occasion. I'm sorry to say this will largely be what I remember from my time here, when there was definitely the potential, and plenty of opportunity, for it to have been so much more.