Pros: Like many other "boomerangs", I left Dropbox and then decided to return after working elsewhere. Dropbox can't be beat when it comes to: * ability to work remotely from almost anywhere * flexible work hours + solid work-life balance * paid time off and extended paternity/maternity leave * compensation * majority of coworkers are good people who are easy to work with * I respect the majority of engineers' ability to do their job well * management doesn't do evil stuff

Cons: Product churn can be an issue, so product teams tend to get reorganized every 6 months to a year. The stock has been pretty much flat since the IPO. Interview questions are hard to pass.

Pros: I was part of the recent layoff at Dropbox. I can say that they went above and beyond with the severance package, returning laptops, and addressing all necessary topics. They allowed us to say goodbye to our coworkers, and there was no immediate revocation of badge or computer access. The culture at Dropbox was one of the best, and they genuinely cared for each one of us. The Virtual First approach provided a great toolbox to keep everyone well connected. Most people were accountable for their actions.

Cons: The head of QE changed the way we engaged with the teams we supported. New QE/SDET roles were created, and the Sprite season arrived. Dropbox redefined the ratings based on impact. Even if we met the goals/impact, the head of QE punished everyone by lowering our ratings, which had an impact on our bonuses. Morale was at its worst. People left, and some required therapy to overcome the traumatic layoffs. Before the layoff, the head of QE favored certain individuals, gave them good ratings, and moved them to her own created team. Furthermore, she received a rating of 4 for making us miserable and for the failure of the QE department. Dropbox eliminated the QE role. To protect her favorites, they were magically converted from QE to Software Developers and Engineering Managers. Some of them don't even know how to code!! Shady, shady!! While other teams and the environment at Dropbox were great, being in the QE department was miserable during the last few months.

Pros: Really strong engineering team. Teammates are curious and competent. I enjoy knowing that any random person I meet on a cross-functional project will generally be a pleasure to work with. Plenty of big challenges to sink your teeth into. If you're up for the task, career growth has a stellar trajectory. Work-life balance is excellent both on a weekly basis and regarding vacation. Unlimited vacation lives up to its claims here.

Cons: Managers frequently come from engineering, which leads to uneven quality. This is both a cause and symptom of high churn at the lower levels of management—bad if you subscribe to the idea that people work for good managers, not jobs. Let's just say that you should really like the job. Lots of competitors in the space. Unfortunately, the heavy hitters are closer to existential threats rather than healthy rivals. While the core systems are robust, duplicated efforts, wildly changing technical strategy, and poor knowledge-sharing abound. The same kind of self-defeating chaos that politics would generate at a larger company arises here naturally due to... dare I reuse that startup cliché... growing pains. Poor retirement matching.