Pros: Good engineers, albeit very junior (even at the senior eng level).

Cons: The shift in engineering focus toward JIRA tickets per employee has massively hurt engineering. Engineers are clearly being seen as interchangeable cogs in the JIRA factory, and so that’s how they’re measured. But good products are made through trust, letting engineers plan and execute projects as they see fit. This shift signals a low-trust environment. It's especially detrimental for actually good engineers who want to focus on meaningful, strategic work rather than being shuffled random tickets. Much of engineering leadership is older than the developer population, and as a result, many implement outdated engineering management techniques that are known to fail. This approach feels like a cry for help, either because they are 1) too lazy to measure productivity and impact in a more nuanced way, or 2) they genuinely believe this will help the company, which is even worse. Promotions often reflect favoritism rather than merit. If you're not in the right circles (like the book club), the path to advancement is unclear and the goalposts shift constantly. Engineering managers in this environment tend to follow orders rather than advocate for their teams or challenge decisions that don’t serve the broader engineering organization.

Pros: - Office space is nice with snacks galore. - There are lots of smart people to work with. - Pay is at or above the industry standard. - Medical benefits are really good.

Cons: There are not a lot of growth opportunities for those who are looking to level up. People who joined the company early-on are not to be questioned. Tech debt is not a priority. There is a 3 day in-office mandatory requirement.

Pros: Pendo has an open/transparent fast-paced environment. There's always a new and interesting problem to solve. I work with some of the best engineers I've ever met and it seems like everyone is always willing to help you learn or get better. While the environment is fast-paced there are also reasonable expectations that are clearly communicated so it's not all-consuming job.

Cons: There are no glaring cons to working at Pendo. There have been minor things that could improve but there's good transparency / communication when an issue does arise.