Make

Given turbulent times and AI, I think Make is a good place to be. It has a bold vision, dares to experiment, and admits failure.

There is surprisingly—for a company of this size—high space for self-realisation and an easy-to-traverse hierarchy. Need confirmation or consultation of my initiative from a VP? It usually takes up to a few days.

There are honest attempts to learn from mistakes and keep the engineering level high. People are also friendly and easygoing.

Nothing Make related. The eventual frictions come from the fact that Make has a few hundred people, which brings internal communication issues followed by people not reading internal communication, misunderstandings, etc. I personally don't think this can be fully compensated for, but not fully eliminated either. Make could certainly improve internal communication from leadership towards the company.

Do not underestimate the importance of "small" symbolic gestures when communicating, especially non-positive news inside the company. Not being physically present when making an announcement is a sign, not having enough space for Q&A is a sign (answering them async may be interpreted as hiding). I don't think there is bad intention behind it. Just easy to avoid missteps with a large impact on how people feel.