Palantir

I’ve worked at a large number of companies and institutions during my career, and I can honestly say that Palantir is the only time I’ve ever derived genuine satisfaction from work.

The work is challenging, and colleagues are smart, driven, and likable. There’s an old saying that holds true here: “If you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room.” This is not how it feels to work at Palantir – you're never in the wrong room. And yet, since everyone automatically accepts your value, there’s no such thing as a dumb question, and help is everywhere. Working at Palantir for one year is like working five years anywhere else. Palantir makes you better, and it's virtually impossible not to grow professionally and technically simply by following the examples set by such a high bar.

There’s virtually no hierarchy, and everyone has a large amount of autonomy to get the job done. If you identify a problem that no one has addressed, then you’re empowered to do whatever is necessary to fix it.

The kinds of problems being worked on, and the sort of casual discussions that occur around the office, are fascinating. Engineers become fully fledged subject matter experts in order to solve big, difficult problems, and there are new and interesting projects being taken on all the time.

The London office is tight-knit with a lot of social activities. The perks include travel and free food, the latter of which should probably be listed under cons as well, since its presence requires self-discipline in order to resist snacking and over-eating.

The work/life balance is not as bad as many people here say, but it certainly isn’t a fixed 9 to 5. My experience is that Palantir attracts a certain type of intelligent, driven individual who work long hours and seem physically incapable of allowing themselves to leave the office until their own task list is complete.

Deadlines can exert pressure, but otherwise pressure tends to be self-imposed. Also, people work hard, and the longer the day they work, the more they get done. These people tend to have the most cred and to be celebrated as high-achieving rockstars. This can be motivating to some, but daunting to others, depending on their mindset.

In any case, work/life balance is an issue that is on the table and is taken very seriously.

Palantir really isn't for everybody. No one is here just to pick up a paycheck or to get an easy ride. It's full of hard workers and cautious idealists.

Keep up the two-way dialogue with staff. It's working.