Pros: Everyone I worked with was incredible. Fast-moving, amazing team, very autonomous culture that is reflective of a rocket ship company.

Cons: Not really cons, but more about fit: * If you need more hand-holding and don't thrive well in an autonomous culture, this probably isn't the place for you. * Not everyone is really into meditation, but everyone is amazing at what they do.

Pros: I've jumped around a lot of companies chasing better salary and benefits, mostly neglecting the connection between the company's vision and my own personal interests. At Calm, I feel like it's the first time where I can get behind the company's vision and also get all amazing work packages. The technical tool stack is fairly clean and easy to drop in from a DevOps perspective. The team size is great, and the workload is very reasonable.

Cons: Just like many other places with remote work, I wish I could meet more people in person.

Pros: Uses a modern technology stack

Cons: - Severe Management Issue - Blame Culture - Favoritism - Disrespectful Behavior - Low code quality and lack of standards Calm may seem peaceful in name, but working there is anything but calm. Regardless of which teams you're working with, it’s a highly stressful environment. Management Issues: My experience with my manager was extremely negative. Clear guidance was rarely provided, and I was expected to understand brief verbal requirements without any documentation or details. I was often criticized for asking clarifying questions. Additionally, conversations were consistently dominated, making it difficult for me to ask questions or contribute. The manager speaks without pauses, leaving no room for input. I frequently had to interrupt just to participate, which made communication feel one-sided. When I tried to interject, it felt like I was interrupting, which created a frustrating dynamic. Favoritism: The company culture is dominated by a group of people who almost all used to work together. If you are not part of the circle, it’s nearly impossible to find opportunities for growth or collaboration. Personal relationships with circle members carry more weight than competence, and you must work hard to gain their trust. Once you are part of the circle, however, you are often considered the best, regardless of the quality of your work. Conversely, even minor mistakes by those outside the circle can lead to significant trouble and negative opinions. Disrespectful Behavior: Some overconfident team members openly disrespect others in meetings, both technically and personally. If you're not familiar with certain tools or systems or make a simple mistake like clicking on the wrong option, they make it clear you're on the outside rather than helping you onboard. They blame you by making fun of you for choosing the wrong option in front of the entire group of people. This always happens in a group setting. Blame Culture: When technical issues arise, the response is often to escalate the blame rather than focus on solutions. My manager, instead of allowing me time to address an important issue, repeatedly blames me in various channels, often irrelevant ones, by mentioning my name with blaming statements. This approach is not only unhelpful but also adds to my stress, paralyzing my ability to focus on and resolve the problem effectively. Low Code Quality: The codebase is poorly structured, with no clear layers or distinctions between different models, which makes working with the system more difficult than necessary. The challenges are intensifying as the system expands. There’s a lack of understanding of microservices architecture, often confused with writing overly simplistic code that misses the mark on true simplicity and scalability. Without clear coding standards, developers follow personal preferences, leading to inconsistency. Code reviews often become opinion-driven, with some developers, who claim to be experienced, displaying ego-driven behavior and overconfidence, so there’s no room left for you to reason about your code. This creates a toxic culture where even experienced engineers outside the inner circle feel paralyzed, scared to submit code, share reasoning, or make decisions. It fosters confusion about best practices and undermines the confidence of those with ethical values who strive for quality.