Smartsheet

There is currently a work-from-home policy, but since the acquisition, conditions have been steadily worsening. RSU cuts have already occurred, resulting in a significant hit to employees’ salaries, and I’ve seen Glassdoor comments from people reporting they were asked to work in a hybrid model during interviews.

The company has senior engineers roles without a strong computer science foundation. Many are proficient in one language and AWS but show gaps in core fundamentals (OOP, design patterns, SLI/SLO/SLA, and Big-O analysis, etc). Technical discussions frequently stall on basics, and time is lost debating first principles with people whose skills align more with mid-level roles.

Decision-making tends to favor title over demonstrated expertise. If someone has “senior” in their title, their view often prevails even when the reasoning is weak. Management engagement is inconsistent; managers rarely intervene in meetings and can be out of touch with day-to-day team dynamics.

Confidence often outweighs correctness. Persuasive, buzzword-heavy arguments get traction under the banner of “diversity of opinions,” even when they lack technical rigor. This dynamic disproportionately hurts capable non-senior engineers: promotions slip when they raise valid objections or are less assertive in meetings.

The result is repeated poor decisions, declining morale, and a noticeable drop in service quality.

Stop hiring people just because they can throw AWS on their résumé or talk confidently in meetings.

Start valuing actual engineering knowledge and fundamentals again.