Pros
It was enjoyable to have the ability to explore mathematical ideas freely with a team of researchers with diverse mathematical backgrounds. Time can be spent developing skills on personal projects as well as the more focused commercial projects. While team meetings with senior management could be fraught at times, the atmosphere in the office tended to be relaxed and healthy most of the time.
Cons
While this initially seemed like a dream job, it eventually became intolerable due to the senior management's attitude towards, and lack of understanding of, the work done by the team. The level of mathematical literacy among the senior management is insufficient to properly judge the quality of the ideas presented to them, and to make matters worse they do not seem to realise that this is the case. Added to this is an unhealthy and ultimately self-defeating attitude to work-life balance from one member of senior management in particular. We would frequently be expected to stay late at the office without notice or good reason, due to poor timekeeping by members of the management team, and their seeming inability to understand why people might have prior engagements or families to get back to generally led to these meetings becoming unproductive and at worst argumentative.