No. Don't do it. You can do better. You deserve better. The other reviews have told you about the CEO and CFO and their complete dedication to poor culture. To keep it short: it's all true. But when you're actually working for them, it's even worse than words can describe. It's toxic. It violates every best practice of management and culture. They just don't know what they're doing. But to give you a better sense, here are things I ACTUALLY was told by high level management during my time there. They're all bad but some are legitimately hilarious how bad they are.
1. "Bad products sell". Well, they didn't say "bad". They said a worse word I can't say here. You get it. They're not interested in making good products, or even okay products. They're not actually interested in helping people learn or having a positive impact on the world. They are interested in money. This is a sales organization that makes poor quality products quickly and sells them at extreme prices. A good company values and invests in good work. If doing good work matters to you, run away from here. Git!
2. "Do not train your team members". This is verbatim, word for word what I was told. When I started as a manager, it was critical to me to train my team, especially the newer recruits with limited or no experience (the company specializes in hiring low-level talent with no experience so they can keep salaries low). I was explicitly told not to spend time training my team because "they might leave and we'd waste our time and energy", or "we don't have time because we're on a tight deadline". I even asked for funds and/or time for professional development to train my team to do what they were being asked to do. It was a hard no. If you're a manager, you will NOT be given space to train your team to do a good job. So, if you're a new recruit, you will not be given training. This is a terrible system that led to huge conflicts with team members. They were expected to do good work fast, but never given the actual training required. And as a manager with experience, I was expected to deliver results while relying on an untrained, inexperienced, novice team. If you like working at a place that has clear expectations, cares about you developing professionally, or gives you the support you need to do the job, run. Run as fast as your little legs can go!
3. "We understand there is flooding on the highways, high winds today, and reported obstructions on the roads. This is a chance to remind you to take your car in to be serviced so it can handle these conditions. All employees are required to come in to work today." This was an actual email from the CEO to all Santa Clara employees. For a few days, the Bay Area had a severe weather front come through causing dangerous road conditions. Many schools closed and other companies went remote for the day. The news and signs on the road were telling you to stay home if you could. What did our CEO do? Told us we should take our car in to be serviced that day so we could come into work. Like most bad managers, Jack Choi believes firmly in micromanagement. It's what people who don't know how to hire well, manage well, or train their employees have to resort to. It even means that when severe weather hits and it's dangerous to drive, he thinks that good management means you need to be sitting in your depressing cubicle under fluorescent lights to work.
4. "We have to root for Korea's soccer team. It's Jack's team". During the World Cup, the CFO actually told my team that we should be Korean soccer team fans because the CEO is Korean. This was not a joke. This place lives in fear of the CEO. Everyone walks on egg shells. The CFO is just trying to please the CEO. This would all just be funny or weird, until you realize that the CFO handles salary conversations, and seems to dictate resolution of all HR issues. You have no outs at this company. The CFO is the "yes" man of the CEO. It's sad to watch but also means you will never have a source of support. It feels a bit like a cult? Like a dictatorship? Like a something. But it's not normal. If you want to be your own person, be able to like the soccer teams you like, or feel free to speak your mind even if it's not aligned with management, run. Or fly away. Whatever is faster!
So, why did I join in the first place? During my interview, the CEO convinced me that he DID care about product quality. He, along with my direct manager, told me I WOULD have time to train my team. In fact, I was told I'd have full control (verbatim) over the team, decisions, projects, and their training. No training allowed. They said there were COUNTLESS opportunities for professional development. There weren't. Don't let the interview persuade you. Remember: this is a sales organization. They will say (but not do) anything to get you to buy the product/join the company.
Join literally ANY other company. I joined from another large tech company because they sold me. They actually threw good money at me. But it was not even close to making up for how unhappy I and everyone I knew there was. If you're experienced, they'll offer you a decent salary. It should be WAY more for what they'll ask you to do. If you're inexperienced, they'll low ball your salary. It should be WAY more for the stress you'll take on trying to keep your head afloat.
Joining Anatomage was the worst professional decision I ever made. Resigning and leaving it behind was the best. You'll find a job somewhere else. Keep looking.
Run.
