Pros
The ICs are incredibly intelligent, persevering, and great to work alongside. It really is an "us vs. management" environment where the team meshes together and survives purely on mutual respect for one another (aka trauma bonding). The compensation and types of projects are cool, but not worth the stress you’re put under to perform. Look for competitors if you really want to be in this space and save your mental sanity.
Cons
Think twice before considering joining this dumpster fire of a company: 1. Every statement from leadership is a lie to make things sound good or to keep clients from leaving for competitors, all while forcing employees to work ungodly hours. While there is no formal requirement, you’re expected to stay up late on most days trying to get work done (because of the sheer amount of work to do) and replying on Slack just to update middle management while they sit back and do nothing. The company would rather use you and throw you out like a tissue instead of fostering a healthy work culture. 2. The executive leadership is completely broken from the top down. The CEO acts like an IC instead of leading the company, is completely antisocial, and only wants to be surrounded by "yes" people where disagreements are not tolerated and it is strictly his way or the highway. Right alongside him, the spineless Director of Human Data does 0 work and fires people for no reason while trying to act cool with everyone. This management layer has no idea where the company is going. Their only goal is revenue targets, and their only strategy is throwing FDEs, TPMs, and money at problems like headless chickens while remaining completely disengaged. 3. Meanwhile, FDEs are treated like slaves by MDs who know nothing about the industry, and promotions and titles are given out like raffle cards to inexperienced people who were just in the right place at the right time. Alignerr services is a disaster. It is severely understaffed yet you will be expected to do the work of three people simply because management cannot handle their own basic responsibilities. Management disappears until a project is actively failing, then shows up demanding everyone cut corners to force out garbage data just to log revenue for the month. On top of that, the platform itself is held together with gum and toothpicks, constantly breaking, yet management expects flawless execution. When you finish a project and do a good job, there is zero recognition, just more work dumped on your plate. If you make any mistake, you will feel like your job is on the line or you’ll be treated poorly for the mistake. This company will never give you job security and they will throw you out on a moment notice.