Apple reviews

- If you stay longer than four years, you will likely find your total compensation lagging significantly behind the market. New hires often come in with higher grants, while long-term contributors see their pay stagnate. - There is a "Leadership Vacuum" in SWE Software Engineering leadership is struggling. Many organizations are overseen by "old timers" who have climbed the ladder through tenure rather than technical evolution. There is a palpable lack of modern technical depth at the managerial level. - Minion" Mentality. The culture is deeply top down. Management often treats highly skilled engineers as resources to be directed rather than partners in innovation. - Transactional Camaraderie. Apple markets itself as a bastion of collaboration, the reality is often cold and transactional. Partners will sing your praises and act like your best friend when they need a deliverable from you, but they will turn their backs the moment their purpose is served. This "mercenary" social dynamic makes it difficult to build genuine professional bonds.

Holidays were “all hands on deck”, and a lot of the time it was super slow. Getting time off was sometimes a big hassle, even almost a year in advance.