Misplaced Project Responsibility: Management frequently delegates core project management duties to Senior Engineers. While engineers are expected to lead, they lack the formal authority to influence priorities in cross-functional teams. When external dependencies cause delays, the blame is unfairly placed on the engineer rather than the lack of managerial oversight. In my previous companies, a manager was formally assigned to the project, who was responsible for coordinating the work of several teams, which worked well, unlike at Pintesest.
Redundant Communication: 1-on-1 meetings are often misused as redundant status updates. Despite having regular sync meetings that managers attend, 1-on-1s focus on reporting tasks rather than professional development or strategic alignment.
Lack of Managerial Contribution in Planning: Performance goals and quarterly/semi-annual plans are almost entirely drafted by engineers. Managers often take credit for these plans when presenting to upper leadership without contributing to the actual strategy or feasibility.
Performance Review Process: The review system feels like a formality. Promotion and compensation decisions seem to be finalized before the official review cycle begins. Furthermore, managerial feedback often lacks original insight, frequently mirroring the employee's self-assessment word-for-word.
Lack of Professionalism & Engagement: There is a visible lack of commitment to the work. It is not uncommon for management to join critical calls from casual outdoor settings with significant background noise/distractions.
Culture of Blame: Managers primarily act as "task drivers" who only intervene when escalations occur. Instead of providing support, they often default to blaming the engineer for "failing to handle it," even when the issue is a systemic or inter-departmental blocker.
Senior management constantly says that our user numbers are growing and that everything is fine in the company, but at the same time, the share price is falling sharply and there are regular mass layoffs in the company.
