Pros
Arista still has some aspects of a startup in its corporate culture and vibe, although it's making an awkward transition to a full-grown company and experiencing some growing pains. Beer bashes on Fridays, a sense of playfulness among the engineers, the feeling that we can all still contribute and make a difference. And it's fun to be working for the underdog when the underdog is winning.
Cons
Executives have the attitude that simply working for Arista is an honor, and that this is the primary reason people come to the company. As a result, they think it's acceptable to short-change employees on benefits and compensation, since those aren't what we're here for. There's also a tension in some departments between systems that were set in place in cowboy days and a growing number of employees -- cowboy systems don't tend to scale well, and as a result some things fall through the cracks.