Toxic senior management - Lead Software Engineer PlanetArt Employee Review

1.0
Sep 28, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Usually my paycheck was correct. The health insurance was affordable if you don't have a family. They did end up compensating us for PTO after multiple complaints.

Cons

I began my short stint at PlanetArt through an acquisition (which seems to be a major growth driver for their business) of the CafePress brand where I had worked for many years. The first time we met the CEO he expressed that we should feel gratitude because we're lucky to still have jobs. He was upset that we complained about them taking our PTO (we were moving from an "unlimited" to an accrual policy) without compensation. It was downhill from that point. A year later, anyone with any experience and domain knowledge has fled. The CTO will micromanage your project despite having only surface-level knowledge. He will request to be in every meeting where he will derail constantly. On more than one occasion he swooped in while a manager was on PTO and changed fundamental aspects of their team. He admits to thriving on controversy. Product managers will appease the CTO during meetings and afterward tell the devs to do something different behind his back. It is a toxic environment. Employees who raise concerns about potential problems are derided and told that they are afraid of success. This is a mantra for senior leadership who seem to take pride in flying by the seats of their pants. When the plan blows up they're quick to point fingers at anyone but themselves. Avoid at all costs.

Explore other reviews about PlanetArt

5.0
Aug 22, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-A lot of support from my manager and executive team -My team is amazing. There is a lot of trust which helps with productivity. -Growth within my role -Hybrid schedule -Employee Perks such as Crypto Arena games, Grubhub +, discounts on products -Office lunches and events -Location is great and close to many stores/restaurants

Cons

-There can be more communication between departments.

1.0
Jun 8, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Compensation is competitive but not many other pros

Cons

The compensation helps offset some of these concerns but it does not fully make up for the overall impact of the concerns below: If work-life balance is important to you be sure to ask detailed questions during the interview process and get specific answers. In my experience the reality of the workload has been very different from what was presented during recruiting. Working late nights multiple times per week is very common and is more so an expectation than an exception. The PTO policy is also below what many companies offer. You start with being able to accrue 10 days per year. You accrue 1 more day per year until you hit 15 days with 5+ years of service. Communication from leadership is inconsistent. Information is often shared late incompletely or not at all. Management structure is another challenge. Regular communication with supervisors can be difficult to maintain. Scheduled meetings are frequently postponed or cancelled creating confusion around priorities and leaves employees without the support needed for success. Not much room for career growth. You will gain skills in your area but you will not move up the company ladder very easily.

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