Pros
Healthy work-life balance. Tasteful office space. Convenient office locations. Good benefits, although not competitive with other travel start ups in Silicon Valley/SF area. Some smart, hardworking folks in the trenches.
Cons
Culture was both hierarchical and political. Apart from a couple of (non-inspiring) female VP's, the company is totally male-dominated. Territoriality is a way of life ("Don't touch that. My team owns it!") And yet, ownership did nothing to ensure results. (It simply protected insecure higher ups who were afraid they'd be eclipsed by real talent and execution.) Far from a sense of "we all succeed or fail together," the pervasive attitude at HomeAway was all about "how can I get ahead?" The end customer - the homeowner and the traveler - were a complete after thought. It's no wonder that Airbnb has danced circles around Homeaway -- and in a fraction of the time.
