Pros: I was on the development team at Shopify, and I looked forward to coming to work every day. I received fairly generous pay and benefits, and the work was interesting. But the thing I appreciated most was a manager that really cared about how I was doing and gave me actionable feedback to help me improve. I felt like it was a great experience for developing my career. Among the other pluses were: * Worked 8 hours a day for the most part; people didn't care when, as long as I showed up to meetings and got my work done. I personally felt no pressure to work longer hours. * Was never concerned with making money, only with delivering the best quality product. * Great emphasis on craftsmanship and quality of product; everyone was very dedicated to this goal. * An excellent CEO: technically skilled, visionary, and inspiring. Tobi deserved to win CEO of the Year (Globe and Mail 2014).

Cons: It was sometimes difficult to communicate between teams, and sometimes the decision-making process was a bit opaque (though upper management was remarkably transparent). Though developers are treated well, sales and support staff seemed to get their jobs reduced to performance metrics (which are visible to everyone in the company). I don't know if I'd want to work in a job like that.

Pros: Great work-life balance. Sometimes, it feels like the priority is actually your own well-being.

Cons: The pros may not apply to all teams across the company.

Pros: The offices are beautiful, and the in-house food and perks are lavish. They make everything as streamlined and effortless as possible. For someone just starting out or looking for an internship, it could be a fun place to work.

Cons: Unfortunately, it was a toxic work environment. Many people were on the verge of burnout, fearful of losing their jobs, and under constant criticism. Competition to be visible and popular was high. It was sad to see how they treated some people and the damage it did to their health, families, and careers.