Pros
Friendly environment; mostly "Type B" personalities, so no one is running over you at "full speed ahead" (as-is common with most "Type A" personality types); BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN office space - if you like open work environment, this place is for you... lots of collaborative areas to pull-away into; HUGE cafe with free snacks- for you snackers out there!; All work spaces are ergonomic which is a plus+ (very much needed with our high stress lives); a commuters dream location (if you have an opposite commute), right next to major freeway access (580/680) and walk-able to/from BART; Management DOES value FAMILY and one's need to "be there" when things happen to come up; although office hours are '8:30-5:30', scheduling is relaxed so long as you are putting in your 'time' and getting the job done, well; fellow co-workers are pleasant to be around, lots of smiles all-around; CEO/founder is very enthusiastic about company and product which makes working here more exciting... as he often tells the story of his humble beginnings and how he came to build a successful product- it's pretty inspiring. All in all, I really do enjoy working here, with my fellow co-workers and in this work environment.
Cons
Because its a privately owned company with the same inner-circle of 'originals' since the beginning, the hierarchy and pecking order is pretty strong and apparent here- makes for one's voice to be invisible if you thought you had one. That's just the way things are run here and one must learn to not take things personal. One must first gain 'favor' among at least one of the 'originals' in order to be 'heard'... Have heard more than a few times from those who are not a part of the 'inner circle' that "why do they [even] ask for my opinion at all, if it doesn't even matter? It's a waste of time and effort"; Lots of 'red tape': "excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction"; Solutions for problems are presented (early-on), but are often ignored due to minimizing cost, more often than not leading to a more costly fix/outcome down the line. Although only half the staff is vegetarian, office functions always cater more towards vegetarian menu with less options for those who eat meat (this is not that big of a deal- but worth pointing out).
