Elastic

Where to begin?

The leadership is incredible - great product strategy, a grounded approach to running the business, and incredible empathy toward both customers and employees.

During COVID, the entire company actually gets 2 extra days off every month. For most roles, these are coordinated so we really do get to switch off and focus on family.

My last job treated their people well, but this is just above and beyond.

There's also been some great company-wide conversations on topics like BLM and diversity, which have revealed a leadership that really is focused on doing the right thing, and not just for PR reasons.

The compensation is generous (across the board, including medical, 401k matching, salary, and stock grants), especially if you live in a place with a reasonable cost of living (which most roles can, since the company is distributed).

Employee expectations are high, and nearly everyone executes at a high level. I feel we're compensated accordingly.

The products are great, and the pace of improvement is incredible, which makes it really exciting to be here and see where this already fast-growing company can go in the future.

The work itself is intense, and there's always something going on (the company is fully distributed). Many roles have a customer support element, which can create a lot of context switches and a sense of urgency.

But on the other hand, it's really rewarding to be able to help customers and engage with those using the products you build.

The connection to the customer and business success here is palpable.

The culture is super open, with most conversations happening in open Slack channels or group threads, or large (usually optional) Zoom meetings that are recorded.

That can be overwhelming, but overall, it makes for a place where even the most senior leaders are accessible and not hidden behind multiple layers of bureaucracy.

Comms from the CEO on down are informal, open, and honest, which makes for a very down-to-earth culture.

I could go on, but overall, it's really an amazing place to be.

My only long-term concern is burnout due to the fast pace (see below), but for now, I'm enjoying it.

The pace of work and mental load of so much open communication can be overwhelming at times, though it does fluctuate throughout the week. In my experience, mid-week is usually intense, but Fridays are pretty quiet.

Distributed companies mean email/slacks come in at all hours. That doesn't mean you're expected to respond at all hours, but it means you have to be more disciplined in setting boundaries.

Some roles get context-switched a lot, which contributes to stress and inefficiency. Hopefully, as the products and processes mature, that'll improve, but right now this can be a challenge.

Watch the fast pace lest you burn people out. It's exciting and motivating, but it also makes it hard to really disengage when "not working." The company-wide, coordinated COVID days off we're doing now really help with that, but I worry a bit about the sustainability of this pace once that goes away.

Other than that, keep it up; you're amazing.