Our team has no real HR to talk to and our historical track record of trying to instill some type of HR has not worked.
Our team is also really angry and they've been angry for a long time. I've heard rumors (which I have no reason to not believe) about nepotism and blind loyalty, and many of our all hands and meetings make many of the team members, including myself, feel uneasy. On most days, I walk away from them appalled that we're getting "wins", since I can't imagine the things we're claiming with such zeal and conviction.
I've witnessed many team members (peers and upper management) be unnecessarily cruel and aggressive in meetings. I am beginning to think that the generous promotions are only divvied out to get people to stay, which incite power trips. Instead of promoting those who threaten to quit, we should be focused on creating a real team structure with real management levels. I see that we're trying to do it on paper, it's just not a tangible thing yet.
Before I joined Vida, I spoke to many alumni who have left Vida either quickly or after several years and they all seem deeply traumatized by their experiences here. And even then, I chose to ignore those red flags and join because the prospect of a fancy title and pay swayed me. I have never regretted anything more in my life. I've lost a sense of the things I believe in and my sense of self.
