The lack accountability and relational skills are core issues here. This was a consistent pattern *not* isolated incidents.
• Complaints about yelling, gaslighting, and passive aggression from leaders across design and production were raised repeatedly and went unaddressed by HR and at the C-suite level.
• Cross-functional partners, including some freelancers in quasi-leadership roles, exhibited persistent bullying, tantrums/outbursts and intimidating behavior with no consequence.
• HR and the C-suite’s non-response to these complaints — no private accountability, no public acknowledgment — signaled that psychological safety was not a real priority.
• Kettle has a well-documented reputation for burning out ICs. That reputation is earned.
On diversity and inclusion: the company markets gender diversity at the leadership level, but representation alone doesn’t create a safe or equitable environment. The inclusion and equity efforts I observed were largely performative — Slack-based initiatives, no real process for raising bias-related concerns, and no meaningful follow-through. If leadership can’t hold itself accountable, the gender makeup of the C-suite is beside the point.
