Coursera

A few years ago, I asked myself whether I would regret later if I joined Coursera, and the answer was "No!". So I joined.

A few years later, I moved on, and here is the review of the company:

There were happy and tough times, wins and loses, just like any other startups in the Bay Area. As a career seeker, the main problem you need to figure out is what you want to develop in the next few years. If Coursera provides something you really want to develop or gain experience on, you should give it a try. If it doesn't provide the environment and/or opportunity, to leave without a grudge is always an option.

• One of the best education companies which can change the world and impact lots of people.
• Many opportunities if you really believe online learning will be the future of learning.
• Interesting problems to address, including both technical and non-technical issues across multiple domains including business, education, technology, etc.
• Many talented people are still at Coursera, and I would recommend everyone to work with them.

But I left, why? It doesn't fit for me anymore, and I can't find a role in such a small company that can help me grow. It was the right time for me to move on, but it doesn't mean you will face the same problem that I had. Do your own research and talk with teams, and you will know whether it is a good fit or not.

1. Tech stack was built for scale, but we don't have a scale problem (yet). This includes maintaining and transitioning a complex SOA into a platform which allows people to do quick product iteration. The process is and will be painful, but on the other side, the old tech stack was very advanced, and I don't think it would be a bad idea to work on it and improve on it.

2. Business is still slowly growing, and we are not a rocket ship (yet?). This means that there are many tough challenges and pains ahead of you.

3. Really slow decision-making and management lack of focus. People are assigned to many tasks, and management can be very short-term focused sometimes. There are also lots of politics in certain teams, but you should directly ask your hiring manager and set up expectations clearly.

4. Very complicated product and business lines. Things can be confusing.

Be mission-driven and focus on long-term goals to provide value to the whole Coursera economy (learners, partners, enterprises, ...). The revenue takes care of itself.