When I first joined Hopper, the company was a great place to work overall. However, things started to change for the worse in late 2023 when new leadership took over the hotels organization. These leaders came in with little to no background in either the hotel industry or technology, and unfortunately, they’ve shown little interest in gaining a deeper understanding of either. As a result, priorities are constantly shifting—for instance, projects are often abandoned mid-quarter after weeks of engineering work, and teams are frequently saddled with new, inconsistent metrics. Meanwhile, the codebase remains in dire need of maintenance, but leadership consistently denies requests to allocate resources to address it.
Layoffs have become a regular occurrence, often taking employees by surprise. Those who remain are expected to shoulder the additional workload, leading to an unsustainable distribution of tasks. Since late 2023, the workload has steadily increased for fewer and fewer people across both product and engineering, creating widespread burnout and a persistent sense of instability.
Career advancement is another weak point. Leaders tend to be opaque and inaccessible, and many don’t have the bandwidth to engage with their team members meaningfully. Even if you document your accomplishments throughout the year, it’s unlikely to help when promotion or raise discussions arise—leaders often cite shortcomings that were never previously discussed.
For anyone joining Hopper, my advice is this: Don’t view it as a long-term opportunity. Push for time with your manager and upper leadership to make the most of your role, but focus on learning from your colleagues—they’re some of the most valuable resources you’ll have. Keep your resume updated, stay sharp on your interview skills, and be prepared to explore other opportunities, particularly toward the end of the year when layoffs have historically hit hardest.
