Pros
Dragos has been an exceptional place to work over the years. They understand that their people are their most critical asset, and the CEO and leadership walk the talk of transparency. The culture is very open. For instance, I can reach out to the CEO or whoever I feel I need to, whenever I need to. There are no strong organizational boundaries, and people are encouraged to speak their minds always, of course, in a respectful manner. During my time here, I have gone through some personal lows and highs, which required a relocation. My supervisor and Dragos’s overall leadership were there for me and supported the relocation. You will rarely find things like this in any other company. Nevertheless, as a mature startup, they have had their growing pains, which unfortunately did end up with two small RIFs, mostly due to the volatility of the financial market that cascaded down to reduced budgets for protecting critical infrastructure. Still, the company handled the realignment well and ensured the people let go were cared for well beyond what is expected or the norms of the tech industry.
For me, I left a very well-established role after 20 years in a Fortune 50 company to be here and have never looked back. I plan to work here for many years to safeguard civilization. This is the company motto, and leadership stands behind this, and it shows with our customers and the ICS/OT community. Governments, asset owners, and operators who work with Dragos know that although Dragos is a technology company, they are the complete ICS/OT package and are here for the long run to establish long-lasting partnerships spanning intel, platforms, services, and beyond. I am proud to be here and be part of the company and mission.
Cons
As the company grows beyond 500 people, it becomes more structured, with more policies and processes to follow. For some, myself included, these can be challenging after running in startup mode with a one-page policy. Nevertheless, these are all necessary changes for a company to mature into a public-ready organization.