Great People, Strong Pay, but Poor Leadership and Uncertain Future - Project Manager BetterUp Employee Review

2.0
Mar 28, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Competitive salaries and above-average compensation packages. Talented, intelligent, and driven individuals at the individual contributor (IC) level. A mission-driven focus that attracts purpose-driven employees who genuinely care about coaching and development. The product itself is genuinely impactful, and the 1:1 coaching services offered by BetterUp have helped so many people around the world — it's something I truly believe in.

Cons

Leadership is all over the place, constantly shifting directions with no real roadmap. For a company that's been around for over 12 years, it's frustrating to see them still calling themselves a startup and acting like one. Teams are stretched thin and expected to pick up the slack, while certain roles are created without much thought on what they should actually do. Despite promoting a coaching culture, it feels like we're more of a marketing and event company, spending huge amounts of money on things like Davos instead of focusing on internal growth. The CEO genuinely believes people are lining up to go on a two-week spiritual hike with him in Spain, like we're all teenagers without families or other responsibilities. It’s cringe-worthy, and most of us just roll our eyes. So many VPs, Vice-presidents and other fancy leadership roles all over the place. New managers are brought in but rarely take the time to connect with their teams or learn — 1:1s are few and far between. There's a growing sense of skepticism about the company's direction, and burnout is becoming the norm. The recent shift from remote-first to pushing people back to the office is unsettling, especially for those who live far away. It feels like remote employees will eventually be indirectly pushed out. Inclusiveness is a growing concern, with some employees being unfairly judged because of their location or working arrangements. Employees who take their rightful parental leave or have part-time contracts are made to feel like they’re not committed enough, which is incredibly disappointing for a company that preaches personal growth and balance.

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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