Pros
Helix is truly a unique company. It's a startup, with the culture and excitement to match, but has many resources of a big company because it is backed by Illumina (the leader in DNA sequencing) and investors with deep pockets. Helix is simultaneously a tech company, a genetics company, and a consumer company. The mission is ambitious and world-changing - you will know you are making a difference. - Team is passionate and mission-driven. The mission and values are real. - Incredibly smart colleagues. You will be surrounded by some of the best in a diverse range of fields. Engineering, design, genetics, bioinformatics, marketing, business development, finance...the list goes on! - Startup culture: free lunch, lots of snacks, unlimited vacation (and most people take time off), small teams, everyone wearing lots of different hats, and lots of passion and excitement - Best of a big company: backing of Illumina, resources to spend when it's on the critical path, 4% 401k matching, great health benefits - Company takes care of the team. For instance, when moving offices from SF to San Carlos, company set up a shuttle to help the commute for SF employees, which is very unusual for a startup - Lots of responsibility. Everyone is given as much as they can handle, and encouraged to take ownership and grow their skills - Culture is collaborative and transparent. Team members genuinely like each other and very common to hang out outside of the office
Cons
- If you're looking for a cushy 9-to-5, this is not the right place. Definitely a fast-moving startup environment but we're often sprinting - Always a lot of balls in the air. When one lands, another one gets started. Don't expect a lot of downtime.
