Pros: The ups and downs of the role are fairly extreme. At the highs, you get to work on exciting and constantly challenging tasks. The stock bonuses are obviously very lucrative, and the longer you stay, the better the payout continues to get.

Cons: Stressful environment and high stakes with very limited timelines. Many brilliant, but challenging people to work with.

Pros: The cause, the benefits, and the validation you get from building and seeing your hardware fly is unmatched. There is the respect from others, and any vendor picks up your phone. It is the most recognized and successful name in the industry.

Cons: Toxic, political, and especially after 5 years, technical excellence is no longer important. The individual contributors are the main target, because they are seemingly easy to replace.

Pros: - A very motivated staff - Food is provided - Trauma bonding - It is easy to figure out who is responsible for what - Documentation is very easy to look through - Improving the process is encouraged - Management helps with blockers - Meetings are short

Cons: - You are disposable. - You work 50+ hours a week. - Trauma (stress dreams are common). - You will have to triage between your responsibilities (that are all on fire lol). - Excessive documentation has to be created to do work. - It can take an act of congress to make a simple change. - Management sets overly aggressive goals and wonders why there is burnout.