CEO imposes a toxic and fearful culture - Anonymous employee Windfall Employee Review

2.0
Oct 17, 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Really good product Pay is decent The holiday parties and few times we get together as a company each year are good Smart people

Cons

It's an open secret among the staff here that basically everyone despises the CEO. Every single person has a story about how he bullied them, made them feel worthless, humiliated them. It's a shame because he really is the smartest guy in the room, but rather than attempt to lift others up he instead makes sure that they know how dumb they are in his eyes. The CEOs pejorative attacks come from any perceived slight and not from genuine, objective shortcomings of an employee’s performance. I have seen co workers cry and become physically ill from the resulting stress. All the way up the chain you can't speak your mind for fear of getting in trouble or fired. Everyone is just trying to cover for themselves since they know the toxicity is coming from the very top, so things don't change. The timing of the above 5 star review was right after layoffs, and is too serendipitous to be coincidence. My guess is it came from an employee who is completely under the CEOs thumb. Look for yourself, it's from one of the first employees who probably has a large stake in the company. As long as Arup has the reins buyer beware.

Explore other reviews about Windfall

5.0
May 9, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Teammates are great. Nice office, forkable lunches. Bring your dog.

Cons

Definitely a startup environment with change and fast deadlines.

3.0
Jan 12, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work with smart people. The data is great. Free lunch. Certain teams are really strong, and the new VP of Sales seems to be a great addition to the other sales leaders who have been with the company for many years. If you want to break into AI, it's a good company to do that.

Cons

Both founders are challenging. CEO is always in the weeds and micromanaging employees, and COO doesn't do anything to stop him. A lot of people quit in 2025, and there was a layoff. Asked to be in the office 5 days a week, but pay isn't competitive, and equity packages are small. Benefits are basic even compared to other startups.

7
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