BetterDown and WorseUp - Anonymous employee BetterUp Employee Review

1.0
Jun 27, 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Inspiring mission, product and wicked smart team members and coaches who are passionate about making a difference in the world.

Cons

Yes, BetterUp is rapidly transforming and organizational culture starts at the top. Take notice of Alexi's CEO rating as the downward spiral is a reflection of his high ego approach to leading and the emerging BetterDown culture. Toxic work environment: The CEO's is inspiring a toxic work environment characterized by fear, intimidation, and favoritism. Employees are feeling undervalued, disengaged, and demotivated, leading to high turnover rates and a decline in overall morale. (Ask about the people survey trends quarter over quarter during your interview process. ) Losing amazing talent: BetterUp is now a dysfunctional organization and is struggling to retain top talent. Talented individuals are being deterred by the toxic work environment and lack of growth opportunities. (Consider asking how many team members have departed BetterUp in the last 12 months. Now ask how many managers/leaders have departed in the last 12 months. People quit their leaders, not their company.) Radical candor is a trap: CEO and executive team are consistently sabotaging psych safety and courage. Surveys asking leaders for candid input/feedback are not confidential and are used to remove disscenters. Slogans are regularly used to drive Alexi's vague "commanders intent." He is quick to attribute the lack of organization clarity to leaders as they are ineffectively cascading yet another obscure "strategic" "pivot." Team members are inspired to adopt a "growth mindset" which is code to "assimilate" by looking within for answers and keep your concerns and questions to yourself. BetterUp is struggling to adapt and improve, as valuable insights and perspectives are discouraged and disregarded.

Explore other reviews about BetterUp

5.0
Jun 10, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I'm not held here against my will for a cause... I'm paid to do something I actually care about. I see a lot of people on Glassdoor debating the strength of the business model, but I've never seen anyone argue that what BetterUp is trying to do isn't worth doing. I'm a part of a company thats net positive for the world. That alone feels like a feat in 2026. AND I'm getting paid well. No "mission discount".

Cons

This isn't a money-growing-on-trees unicorn startup from 2018. This business model is hard. We're selling human potential development when most companies are trying to figure out how to replace humans with AI. Its not easy but I think its kind of important... A lot of people experience being overwhelmed here. Thats real. It happens enough that clearly the culture is playing a role. Every company has its own version of crazy. My advice to people thinking about working here: ask direct questions in your interviews to figure out if you're okay with Betterup's kind of crazy. You'll get honest answers. After 3+ years I've genuinely grown to love it

3
5.0
Jun 10, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nearly 8 years in, and the work still pulls me forward. What keeps me at BetterUp is that the problems are genuinely hard and genuinely worth solving. I came from engineering, so I'm wired to care about infrastructure, not just features, and this is one of the rare places where you can build something foundational and actually see it move metrics, clear escalations, and unblock a whole go-to-market motion. The mission isn't decorative here. I can feel the thread between the work and the outcome. BetterUp also trusts you to figure things out across lanes. I've written SQL, prototyped with AI tools, facilitated workshops, and co-designed vendor strategy, all as a PM, because the culture doesn't penalize curiosity or reaching into adjacent territory. And honestly, some of my closest friendships came out of this place. The people I work with, on engineering, on cross-functional teams, and in peer mentorship, are people I genuinely learn from and, in some cases, people I can't imagine not having in my life. That combination of meaningful infrastructure work, real trust, and people who challenge you and become your people is not easy to find. The benefits span beyond general work-life-balance, if you're curious about something, there's always an open door to learn and contribute. As a woman in tech, I cherish the fact that our colleagues listen to women, and our insight is taken into account instead of just ignored. It's nice to feel safe at work, able to speak your mind freely.

Cons

If you want a boring job, this is not the place for you.

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