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Project Lead The Way

Engaged Employer

Could be great if team members felt more valued - Software Engineer Project Lead The Way Employee Review

3.0
Jul 23, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The scrum team works well together, for the most part. Agile process here is better than at some places, at least within the scrum team. Being on a small team means that one person can make an impact...if the business lets you. GraphQL. Great vacation benefits that they actually encourage you to use.

Cons

Business as a whole should respect that Agile does not mean "fast," nor does it mean "do what we're told without question." Major decisions are sometimes announced in quarterly all-staff meetings with the teams relevant to these decisions having no idea. The company has a good mission, but it doesn't always feel that they practice what they preach. From a dev standpoint, the scrum team needs their business analysts to truly be product owners and have the clout that comes with it. There are no designers here, nor much desire for UX/UI/front-end-only engineers whose passion is developing tools that not only work, but that people also enjoy using. A successful software engineer here will be the unicorn who loves database administration, deployments, and design. Some teams (and their leadership!) view the scrum team as a necessary evil, a means to an end (Some New Feature) rather than partners. Engineers and computer scientists are the future we encourage in our kids, so why are the tech teams at PLTW often treated as burdens? There's also a micromanagement problem here. I observed many times where adults were not being treated as adults. Giving us greater flexibility can also encourage greater productivity in the end. Somewhat related, it would be great if the business casual/formal (depending on team) dress code didn't exist. Since most of us weren't meeting with clients, I didn't see a need for that. We can still dress professionally but also wear jeans. I feel that many, or even most, issues here come from the top down (as mentioned in previous reviews by others), and that means negativity can trickle into teams that would otherwise be effective and passionate about their roles at PLTW.

Explore other reviews about Project Lead The Way

5.0
Jun 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fantastic Gig, great company. Would do it again!

Cons

Online (remote) teaching of Core Engineering Courses vs In Person.

3.0
Jun 21, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The individual contributes that work with you on your team are great people committed to helping schools have favorable outcomes and drive student impact. Company benefits are the best I’ve had in my professional career.

Cons

• In the past month alone, over 25 employees were laid off without transparency or clear criteria around who was impacted or why. • Leadership continues to say the organization is financially strong, which contradicts recent layoffs and ongoing instability. • The engagement team is led by toxic leadership—cliquish, exclusionary, and hostile to feedback. • Sales lacks basic tools to be successful: no lead generation strategy, reps can’t create their own quotes, and revenue goals are avoided because leadership believes schools “aren’t ready” to talk about money. • There’s a deep identity crisis—are we focused on revenue or on mission? The lack of clarity is hurting both. • The org is extremely top-heavy. Leadership teams meet constantly but rarely communicate decisions or direction to the rest of the staff. • Despite the CEO’s claims that the org is progressive and innovative, it’s resistant to change and clings to outdated systems and thinking. • Promotions and visibility are limited to those within a small Indianapolis-based network. If you’re not part of the inner circle, you’re overlooked. • Employees don’t feel safe reaching out to HR, as feedback often leads to retaliation. • New ideas are not welcomed. If you raise concerns or suggest improvements, you’re labeled “difficult” and shut out.

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