Pros
Before Bonterra became a corporate disaster zone, it was made up of several companies filled with incredibly talented and hardworking software professionals. Working alongside these smart, skilled folks was a privilege—I genuinely learned a lot and grew in my craft. Unfortunately, many of them have since been pushed out or are eyeing the exits, thanks to the current leadership’s genius-level mismanagement.
Cons
Let's cut to the chase: the CEO appears utterly out of touch with the nonprofit and political technology industry and has no interest in learning anything about it. His penchant for filling key roles with buddies from Aurea Software has resulted in a cohort marked by incompetence and sycophancy. This clique seems blissfully unaware of software development basics or the intricacies of running a SaaS business, contributing nothing of value to Bonterra or its clients. Instead, they seem intent on sucking the life out of this company. My interactions with these Aurea alumni often left me astonished by their struggles with even the most basic professional decorum—passive-aggressive and unprofessional remarks littering Bonterra Confluence pages are sadly commonplace. The leadership's fixation on "work units" (for context, lookup the Forbes news article titled "The Billionaire Who Pioneered Remote Work Has A New Plan To Turn His Workers Into Algorithms" ) and perpetual layoffs as a path to profitability is laughable. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to purge the highly skilled talent integral to Bonterra's success, transforming the company into a digital sweatshop reliant on overworked and underpaid contractors. As they steadily erode union jobs, engage in blatant union-busting tactics, and appoint unqualified individuals to critical management positions, Bonterra increasingly resembles a sinking ship. In summary: Bonterra? More like Bonterrible.
