Pros
My previous career experience runs the gamut from seed-stage startups to large companies. BetterUp has been by far the most human, supportive, and growth-oriented experience I’ve had. I’m intensely engaged, I get to challenge myself, I’m inspired by my team, sometimes I cry, I laugh a lot, the people are outstanding, victories are sweet.
Using the lens of big company experience, there are a few things that stand out: It is a goal-oriented environment, which means constant building and stretch opportunities. When I’ve hit milestones it’s always on to the next which means I’m in a constant state of learning (i.e. that vulnerable discomfort of not knowing what I’m doing...yet). Hence, compared to a large company, no one is a cog here. If something feels wrong or off then we are empowered to fix it; whether that requires a candid conversation, a data-driven decision, or a process improvement. It is not a place to think inside the box of your role or to be a victim (in my experience, large companies can be places that normalize victimhood), rather, it is a place where I have been repeatedly inspired to have an impact professionally and to develop as a person.
From the perspective of working at startups, BetterUp really impresses me for having it’s stuff together. It is built thoughtfully and on a solid foundation with the values and behaviors streamed seamlessly into everyday language. I continue to be impressed by how crystal clear leadership is in terms of goals, and the transparency with regard to how to achieve those goals. In that sense, it’s the most organized and intentional startup I’ve worked at.
BetterUp also feels extremely family-friendly. Folks like to have fun but it’s not a “work hard play hard” culture by any stretch. There is broad age diversity and people with families of all stages. I’ve never experienced this at a startup, even late-stage startups. For the first time ever as a parent, I take “inner work days” for myself because BU provides the space to do so. It’s been revolutionary for me, personally. In addition to inner work days, the values, atmosphere, and coaching have taught me a ton about positive psychology which has spread into my family life.
Speaking of family-friendly, the response to the pandemic was impressive. Parents were given an individualized “intake” with their managers and asked questions like how to accommodate schedules, workloads, emotional support, and technology needs for our kids… they even provide an Outschool benefit!
The commitment to D&I is sincere. Much of the VP level leadership are women and C-level is diverse as well. The COO/co-founder (who happens to be an immigrant from Peru) has taken on an additional role as Head of D&I which in and of itself demonstrates the level of investment they are willing to make.
In summary, I’m extremely appreciative of my experience here so far and am very optimistic about the future of this company. BU has given me an education in positive psychology and business best practices accompanied by the tools to apply those lessons; as a result, I have career confidence that I've never had before. Also the founders are brilliant (it's kind of intimidating but so cool).
Cons
Nowhere is perfect… what would that even look like? I think we’d do well to have more women at the C-level.
