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Great culture and colleagues, but overly political and at times feeling disorganized

Senior Android Developer
Former Employee
Worked at Automattic for 2 years
July 10, 2023
4.0
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEO
Pros
  • Very smart, determined, and pragmatic colleagues
  • Great company culture
  • Great compensation
  • Unparalleled autonomy
  • Good for introverts
  • Great diversity mantras
  • Inclusive culture
Cons

Apparently disorganized, there's a lack of top-down hierarchy that holds together bigger tech players. You may think that's good, but it often feels like a mirror of anarchy, which doesn't really help drive good initiatives forward.

At times, many seem more concerned with politics and open-society type of agendas than excellent output and top quality.

Unclear vision: most people there appear not knowing where they came from and where they want to go.

Internal documentation is mostly outdated yet often pedestalized, despite clearly lacking relevance to the ever-changing working practices.

As someone once said: most developers working there have seen better days in their career. There is something critical and requiring immediate attention in an organization that fails to get the best out of its staff, yet I failed to see any changes in that direction.

Advice to Management

Get your values straight:

  • What should matter in a company aspiring to be great is what people are doing inside it, not outside.
  • Technical excellence and individual efficiency should be the most important factors when evaluating members in a software-oriented community.
  • A great for-profit organization should not be involved in politics.

Additional Ratings

Work/Life Balance
5.0
Culture and Values
5.0
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
5.0
Career Opportunities
5.0
Compensation and Benefits
5.0
Senior Management
4.0

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