Waymo

Waymo has a famous brand, and part of inspiring the industry.

Waymo is struggling with growth pains around issues of culture and transparency. I did not meet many strong software engineers here, compared to other, less famous companies I worked for.

That's not surprising given how poorly Waymo treats its employees. At Waymo, like other startups, employees have stock-based compensation. However, here you are not allowed to know what share of the company your stock represents, and the company can take your vested stock away if you leave.

I find workplace conditions here humiliating, and those continue to get worse.

If you join Waymo, expect to get a tiny desk in a hallway on a giant floor packed with hundreds of other desks side-to-side. You'll be surrounded by piles of boxes and yelling people all the time.

People around me are often working sick, so I get constantly exposed to new diseases.