Pros
Let me start by stating how much I want Flexport to succeed. I joined because I believed (and still do) in the mission. That being said, I tried to stick it out to my 1 year mark for some stocks to vest, but I ultimately had to choose my mental health and wellbeing over any potential stock upside. The world of global trade is totally antiquated and ready for a shakeup. I took a pay cut to join Flexport because I believed in the mission (which turned out to be very inflated and the actual technology is exaggerated). There are some truly outstanding teams at Flexport. Most notably: .org — this is an amazing, passionate team working with foundations to do good in the world. PR/Comms — the PR team is world-class and proactive. They can make a banana taped to a wall seem like a worthy $5M long-term investment with just one press release. They are amazing at overselling the company and its leaders, while the actual technology, results, and internal functions are lackluster at best. OA’s/Sales - There are a TON of employees in their early/mid 20’s who come from consulting backgrounds and top colleges. They take roles that seem great but are essentially data entry/execution. Many of them have solid paths to move up the ranks very quickly so I can see why they feel so optimistic about the company’s outcome. Some teams are very sheltered and are able to “drink the company kool aid” of leadership and internal comms messaging. Free lunch was awesome while it lasted. The office perks were great.
Cons
Please spare yourself from joining Flexport — it’s the most toxic work environment you can imagine. I wouldn’t sent my worst enemy to Flexport. I’ve worked in “bro culture” and male dominated industries such as banking and tech sales. Never in my career (or life) have I actually felt inferior as a woman. At Flexport, I watched sub-par men with no industry or job-function experience (as admitted by them) get promoted quickly up the ranks while my tenured, experienced colleagues were pushed to the side. The male dominance is real at Flexport. If you are friends with Ryan or C-Suite members, you have a leg up and get what you want (resources, budget, general respect, etc.). Women are also talked over, man-splaining happens regularly, and women have to become aggressive and loud to get their voices heard. The employee survey is smoke and mirrors. While diversity and inclusion are repeatedly called out, leadership does not attend ERG events, and will not directly respond to questions, even during all hands. Most of the C-Suite members are white/asian men friends with the CEO. Working at Flexport gave me severe anxiety and depression, especially over toxic coworkers. Despite complaints from the ENTIRE team AND cross-functional teams about a specific colleague, nothing was done. Feedback means nothing at Flexport, and actually ends up being a negative reflection on you. The C-Suite holds their direct reports accountable for failures, but never are held accountable themselves. As long as they are buddies with the CEO, they get away with missing quota or not accomplishing goals and those under them are fired as scapegoats. The company is not thinking long-term and continues to go through small rounds of layoffs for short-term savings. They use layoffs to fire people/functions they don’t like. Sadly, people are hired with major promises that don’t come through. We promise automation or function expansion, but most work is done manually on the backend and the company is not investing in actually developing talent. I was promised budget and resources and can honestly say in my Flexport tenure, I did not work on a single thing that I am proud of.