Pros
• Career Growth Opportunities: I had the chance to accelerate through the promotional path and transition into product management. For junior employees, this can be a good place to start a career in IT and cybersecurity. • Supportive CEO (at the time): The founder CEO was ambitious and supportive, fostering a strong vision for the company. • Early-Stage Experience: Joining pre-IPO allowed me to gain valuable experience in a fast-growing environment and contribute meaningfully to the company’s success.
Cons
• Inconsistent Leadership: The company went through phases of poor leadership, especially in product management. At one point, a CISO with no product experience was promoted to VP, leading to a lack of strategic direction and the departure of experienced product leaders. • Unfair Promotions: Promotions often seemed to be based on personal connections rather than merit, with some individuals advancing to senior and director-level roles despite having little experience. Meanwhile, long-term, high-performing employees were overlooked. • Toxic Work Culture & Favoritism: A culture of favoritism emerged, where certain employees, particularly friends of leadership, received opportunities while others were held back. This created a demotivating work environment. • Racism & Workplace Discrimination: I observed instances of racism, particularly from colleagues in the U.S., which made the environment uncomfortable for some employees. • High Turnover & Leadership Overhaul: Leadership changes often led to instability, with new executives bringing in their own teams, disrupting existing product and engineering leadership.