While things started out great, over time, I learned that being competent in this environment will actually become a punishment and burden. 16 hour work days, having your approved PTO taken from you because of poor leadership planning, being told your home life was interfering with your work life, being gaslit about training new hires (who had higher salary and titles), and then being told you aren't capable of doing the same work or get the same salary you're training them for.
When a company culture is "If something isn't working, don't come to your leadership and expect help", being an IC becomes a very volatile situation. I found myself having to justify to my family why staying in my job was important, and also justify to my job why having a family was important. And all the while, was just trying to do my best work, waiting for the promised time where "things will get better". Surprise surprise, they never did.
Unfortunately the exciting product, with wonderful fellow ICs and the opportunity to do really great work gets completely overshadowed by poor leadership and management (managers with no training), penalizing ICs for being transparent about overworking issues and toxic situations, and just being told that if you have a work related issue/challenge, you're the problem.
Also, Never challenge a Sales Rep.
