Pros
I ve been working at balena for almost a year now and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The culture and way of working can be very different from what most people would have experienced. It has been a great opportunity to question some of the habits and practices I had adopted over the years and challenge the way I approach problem-solving. The team is amazing, supportive and friendly and makes you feel supported and engaged from early on. You have a lot of flexibility and freedom to work on what suits your skills, knowledge and drive best while being able to get your hands on areas that you don't know much about but you are eager to explore and learn. Balena acknowledges that the culture and way of working are unique and different for most and thus allows plenty of time for new members to adapt and feel settled. The goal is for the team member to confirm that balena is the right environment for them and for balena to confirm that the team member is the right fit for the company. It is a win-win game!
Cons
Not cons but things to consider when thinking whether balena is the right place for you! The learning curve can be steep! Your years of experience and expertise are useful but embracing the balena values and goals, as well as understanding the problems and needs in-depth come first. Expect to be challenged, a lot! Even more, if you come in full of ideas, tools, and approaches that have worked for you before. There is a lot of space for growth but definitely not in the traditional way of performance reviews, promotions and climbing up an org chart ladder if that is what you are after! Being proactive, self-motivated, not relying on being told what to do next and being able to ask for feedback, help and guidance when needed are some of the key characteristics that will help you feel settled and successful at balena. If you expect the traditional check-ins and line managing relationships, you will not get this here. Everyone at balena trusts that you will do what you have to in order to contribute to the success of the company! Things move and change very fast at balena. The strategy team has the hard job of making sure that everything is well connected and coordinated. This might feel like they are jumping on details sometimes and maybe this is how micromanagement mentioned in other reviews here has come into play. Trying to see the bigger picture and having a lot of context will help you clearly see the intentions behind these behaviours and understand how balena works.