Pros: People figure out how to own and solve problems; they aren't told how to solve them from top down. Great people (traders and engineers) to work with, a respectful environment even when chaotic, and smart people who leave their egos at the door. High pay and benefits. Work/life balance, even in senior roles. Promotions and bonuses based on merit, not longevity or connections. As an engineer, you have the resources to build really well-engineered systems.

Cons: - Very competitive industry; a solution that worked last year needs constant improvement to work next year. - We are never done solving a problem; it's a moving target. - It is hard to measure improvements to systems in a constantly changing market. - Sometimes we decide to throw away code we worked hard on, which can be tough.

Pros: - Intelligent and humble coworkers - Great pay - Engineers are promoted and paid based on merit. There is transparency regarding levels (junior, senior status, etc.), and your guess is likely correct about where others are. - With everything in technology and trading constantly changing, there is much room for growth and taking on new responsibilities, even immediately after starting. - Everything is solid, including culture in general, 401k, massages, breakfast, lunch, snacks, five weeks of vacation shortly after starting (which everyone actually takes), and yearly company trips. - Useless meetings are cut short or cut out; there is little opportunity for being bored. - Team leads aren’t simply middle managers; they’ve excelled at the role they are leading. - Expectations are extremely consistent: focus on clean, simple solutions, own the stack, and grasp the feedback loop of development.

Cons: - Making significant changes that affect trading can be stressful, though this is largely mitigated by frequent releases and having a plan if your solution is broken.

Pros: Great culture, work-life balance, and compensation.

Cons: There are not any I can think of.