Deel

Big project with a variety of technologies used, offering great technical challenges and room for technical growth. In my case, a great team of professionals and nice people. Huge potential in terms of business expansion and revenue. You see the value you bring to the customers.

Processes are chaotic. Weekly sprint priorities change frequently, so you can't set realistic goals for the sprint because, mid-sprint, you may switch to another "critical" task.

Top management tries to micromanage (it became much less in 2024 but still happens), which is ridiculous considering the company's size.

The performance review process is not transparent. For many people, you don't have any growth plan here, or there is no manager bound to you who will stand for you, so you don't get promoted for years despite everyone on a team saying you are doing great. Personally, I've been told I'm doing great each performance review cycle. Last time, we closed all quarter's OKRs as a team but still, I was not promoted.

Top management goes to the market to find a new person for the lowest-tier manager instead of encouraging people within the company to grow and become such managers with domain knowledge and experience (at least in the engineering department), which sounds wild.

Some benefits were silently turned aside, such as:

• Performance review cycle twice a year (now only managers know when it starts and whether you are nominated).
• Unlimited vacations were converted to 18 recommended days (or minimal allowed according to your country's laws).

Deel's speed is a result of many poor technical decisions and tech debt. Speed is important to conquer the market, but there are critical things you can't neglect.

Create opportunities to grow people within a company.

You have many great and motivated people who would love to try themselves in a new position. It's also likely they get paid less than people from outside.

Start paying attention to technical debt before you become its hostage.