High risk and high rew... no, just high risk. - Engineer Luminar Employee Review

2.0
Oct 6, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are truly some technically brilliant folks on staff at Luminar and a lot of deep experience on the bench. Director-level folks on down are generally nontoxic and well-intended.

Cons

Feels like a doomed company; direction changes, pivots, layoffs and priority shifts are a regular way of life. Don't come here for a long time, just come here for a (brief) good time (ie make a little money and be prepared to find an escape pod). Has RTO, pizza parties and ice cream trucks / silly engagement events in lieu of real raises or advancement (or 401k match, for that matter) - all the fun and cool hallmarks of a tech company treading water. Morale is permanently in the can, I cannot imagine hiring in to this company in present state. Interviewee beware. The 20-something wunderkind CEO has surrounded himself with exactly the wrong folk to set high-level strategy and facilitate execution and it might not be actual malice, but it's definitely bumbling incompetence at a level that takes the breath away.

Explore other reviews about Luminar

5.0
Jul 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Tons of talented and smart engineers working here

Cons

Hard work at a former startup

4.0
Jul 12, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good people and technology and culture

Cons

Badly managed due to parabolic growth

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