Pros: Food is pretty good. There are definitely some very talented engineers. In several ways, engineering practices are top-notch. Work/life balance is good.

Cons: Office politics are extremely pervasive at Square. I've known coworkers fired over personal disagreements. If you don't drink the Kool-Aid, you're gone. Management refuses to admit mistakes. The communications team seems to focus on placating employees, not telling an inspiring narrative to the rest of the world. Generally, projects move at a glacial pace unless management happens to fancy your project this quarter. The next quarter, your headcount could be gone. I saw projects take two years that should have taken 3-6 months. Compensation is unimpressive. I think there's more of an effort recently to improve it, but for many employees, like myself, it's too little too late. For as many great engineers as there are, there are equally as many really poor engineers. Square grew far too quickly, and its talent suffered as a result. In general, engineering makes little investment in the future. Technical debt is extremely high with no plan on how to pay it down.

Pros: Square is a great place to work if you are a new-grad or just starting out in your career. There are a lot of great people to work with, and you can see a lot of interesting work. * Work with fantastic people at your peer level. You have made some great friends here. * The engineering culture is really good; no-ego problem-solving is mandatory across the company. * One of the few opportunities to build something that is impactful for everyday people trying to make an honest living. People are connected to the mission of helping the small business down the street. * A truly full-stack company. You can learn so much on the engineering side.

Cons: - Design culture is awful. ICs are great, but their management structure is incredibly top-down and not iterative. They hamstring product teams and slow everything down. - Lack of focus everywhere. Constant reorgs and lots of abandoned projects make it hard to scale your team or your work. - Leadership provides no clear strategy. We are just doing lots of things, attacking lots of opportunities.

Pros: Block promotes a healthy work-life balance and offers engaging projects. There are opportunities to participate in "working groups" addressing specific issues and collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds outside your team. Despite the remote work setting limiting social interactions, this may be preferable for some.

Cons: Compensation is relatively low, with a significant portion tied to stock, which has tanked. This impacts the overall compensation compared to other companies that offer a higher cash percentage. The pace of progress for engineers can be slow, with an emphasis on extensive documentation and numerous stakeholder meetings, deviating from a "ship fast" culture. Some instances of toxic behavior have been observed in middle management, including micromanagement, public criticism, and fostering a blame culture. The quality of management appears to be inconsistent across teams. Additionally, it's worth noting that Block has announced plans to reduce headcount and implement layoffs in 2024. This impending restructuring may impact job security and overall job satisfaction. Given this situation, it might not be the best time to consider joining Block.