MongoDB

Individual contributors there are usually quite friendly, so often your teammates will be fun and kind. They offer most of the fun perks that you would expect of a modern tech company.

So many cons, it's hard to list:

• Highly unethical contracts from MongoDB, i.e., gut-wrenching contracts with inhumane organizations that I wish I could share more about.

• Extremely poor management quality of MongoDB managers. It's only gotten worse over the past few years, from sexist managers to nepotistic ones. Not to mention those who are highly unqualified to lead a team and become the yes-men for product at the expense of their team. Depending on your department, you may actually get a really good manager, but because the hiring bar is all over the place in the past few years, it's a huge hit or miss.

• Overspending in useless places: MongoDB spends ridiculous amounts of money on the stupidest perks, like expensive parties with champagne and having manicurists come in, etc.

• No 401k match: I don't understand how you can spend money on the most unnecessary things but not have any 401k matching.

• Silent layoffs: MongoDB is actively having layoffs without calling them layoffs. They recently announced they are "raising the bar." This is a way for MongoDB to layoff employees without paying severance, and it has very little to do with performance by itself. I believe middle management knows about this and is being very discreet.

• Unlimited PTO, i.e., you don't actually get to go on vacation: In my time at MongoDB, I was never allowed to properly take vacation time because the work was always so intense that you were discouraged from applying for weeks off. This is just a way to avoid paying out vacation time if employees don't use vacation.

• Ridiculous workload (this might vary team to team): I've genuinely had days where I woke up and started coding right away and then coded pretty much until I slept, and this happened so many times. You don't get any sort of thank you from management about this. In addition, so many employees are probably doing this kind of thing but discouraged from talking about it in order to seem more productive so they can secretly match or exceed the absurd workload.

Actually stick to the supposed company values, apply more rigorous standards for middle management, be honest that you're having layoffs, and stop the unethical contracts.