Palantir

Coming from a larger technology firm where individuals were focused on self-preservation, titles, and advancement, Palantir is a breath of fresh air. People at Palantir are driven by the ability to make a major impact, both internally on projects and externally by driving solutions to important problems. The best idea truly wins at Palantir, and there have been a number of projects that evolved from the annual Hack Week events over the years.

People are respectful, and many are friends outside of work. I find it easy to approach people and start a conversation. While the company has grown quite a bit since I've joined, they make great efforts to keep the culture intact.

There's always been a great deal of trust in employees to do the right thing and to get their work done on time. I've never been micro-managed, and the management team has made it a point to hire smart people, provide guidance, and empower them to do what needs to be done.

You have to be comfortable working in an unstructured environment or be able to handle frequent change. This isn't necessarily a con, but Palantir values people who can work autonomously or tackle problems with minimal oversight.

Some people would like a San Francisco location. I'm neutral to this.

I feel like I have more than adequate access to management/decision-makers, as it's easy to grab them in the hallway or schedule time on their calendars. My advice would be to continue to listen to your people and continuously be proactive in keeping employees happy.