Amazon

• Able to get completely immersed in AWS with the best minds designing, creating, and supporting the platform. I've heard (in jest) "Amazon is where over-achievers go to feel bad about themselves," from people I consider some of the brightest people I work with. Given enough dedication and teamwork, anyone who meets the high hiring bar can thrive here.

• Mobility within the company (more so for those in Seattle or other large markets).

• Amazon Leadership Principles are not just lip service. The company lives by them.

• For those who can hang on long-term, the stock bonuses have the potential to really pay off big.

• Work/life balance is not great. I find myself working 50-60 hours per week routinely. Bezos wrote about "work/life harmony" which rings true. You might be making dinner between conference calls and eating at your desk. I find myself routinely logging in on a Sunday to get caught up before Monday. "Only two meeting-free workdays until Monday."

• Sign-on stock bonuses are heavily weighted toward years 3-4, with annual refreshes beyond, that feel designed to keep people chained to the company.

• As a remote employee, networking with peers can be challenging, so take advantage of travel to Seattle to get to know folks you work with virtually.

• Some toxic personalities are allowed to thrive because they are making AWS a lot of money.

• Daily "Connections" surveys seem to go into a black hole.

• Amazon gets a fair amount of negative press. The company could be doing more to allow an open conversation and handle criticism.

Do more to check on your employees' job satisfaction and ensure that they are surviving. The damage is great when top performers end up taking the brunt of the workload, burning out, and moving on.