Was once a great company but now is nothing but turf wars and inconsistent leadership and vision - Anonymous employee PayPal Employee Review

2.0
Feb 28, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

People for the most part are talented and passionate about what they do. Nice amenities (gym, cafes, coffee bar, free sodas), flexibility in work hours, working from home.

Cons

Years ago Paypal had great vision but now is floundering and trying to be "a bank but not a bank". It makes my heart hurt to think about what the company once was and what it has become. VPs are more concerned with managing up and getting face time with the C-level than with managing their businesses and ensuring their teams can be successful. Leadership is inconsistent--constant changes of opinion, of approaches, inconsistency between words and action. People who are glorified sales reps are put in positions of running large businesses that are now floundering. Lack of people development; difficult to get promoted. Negative politics, turf wars and kingdom building run rampant. Have to be a a "yes man" to be successful; can't voice opposing points of view without repercussions. Values and behaviors look good on paper but few people exhibit these. Compensation is low, and often unfair--women on my team made less than the men, directs made more than their directors and VP management doesn't care. I once was a huge advocate for getting people to work here, but at this point the company is off the path to success and instead is becoming a "me too" company--following the likes of Apple, Google, Square instead of leading.

Explore other reviews about PayPal

5.0
May 15, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good company to work for, good work life balance

Cons

They should have more developers than other titles.

2.0
Apr 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

PayPal has a lot of potential. It has two very strong brands in PayPal and Venmo with significant awareness and user bases that other companies envy. There are pockets of teams that are really pushing the envelop to reimagine what PayPal and Venmo could be—especially the Venmo team—and to move with speed given the company must stay focused and not waste time with Apple Pay, Shop Pay, and so many other competitors nipping at PayPal's heels and aggressively taking market share.

Cons

While some teams are pushing to self-disrupt and are moving fast, too many teams—and I'd argue the majority of the company–are living off of PayPal's laurels from the late 2010s through the pandemic. The culture and mindset have to change for the company to remain competitive. Otherwise, they are the Titanic and they're sinking slowly. The former CEO who only last 2 years tried diversifying the company's revenue, planning for the future. But the board and its former chairman (now new CEO) felt he wasn't moving fast enough to stabilize and marketshare. Instead, the board hired the former chairman who made computers and printers at HP—another sinking ship—to lead the oldest fintech company. The loss of confidence in the leadership team and the strategy are only accelerating.

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