Started as an amazing experience, but disappointing in the end
Pros
Some great reasons to work at Techstars: - Access to a large network ranging from founders to investors - Learn how to operate a startup on the job (no better opportunity) - Work closely with some incredible founders, many who will be in your life for years to come - Still some honest people left in the company trying to steer it in the right direction
Cons
Some not so great reasons to work at Techstars: - Upper management paints their own reality of the company, despite what is happening on the ground - Total lack of empathy, despite the new CEO writing a book on the need for empathy in tech - Egos, egos egos everywhere. Did I mention the egos? - On the note of egos, middle and lower level employees are treated like interns, particularly by Managing Directors. - Burn out and overwork are rampant. It's not uncommon to hear about peers crying on the job because they are so stressed out. Few complain, they just leave for better opportunities. - No internal career progression whatsoever. They expect you to come for a couple years, put in your time, then leave without any commitment. If you're looking for a place to put down some roots and make an impact, keep looking. - Diversity inside and outside is practically non-existent, despite the heavy emphasis and cliche sayings you'll find everywhere. - Salaries are lower than market rate for similar roles with no transparency between genders - Non-existent People Operations and odd management structure leaves no protection for middle and lower level employees
