Pros
-Complete freedom to build the company's engineering product and all the processes, including use of regulatory standards, hiring up and training staff, support setting up manufacturing and DMR, being involved in the QMS/DHF/DHR/Risk Management File, supporting regulatory submissions, and learning from one's own mistakes as part of continual improvement. No company takes a bet on you like that without already being both management and a technical lead/principal.
-Involvement in corporate strategy & hearing from both the board and stakeholders of the product.
-Great engineering staff that works well together, leading and taking care of what needs to be done on their own accord
-Being able to potentially change the way that brain assessment is being done for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other neurological ailments, allowing you to pour your vision into your department
-Engineers incorporate ISO 13485 in their everyday worklives
-Living in the DC/Bethesda area, you often meet a number of people connected to the EEG and TBI field outside the company on your own. Just stay mum and don't spill any corporate secrets.
-Healthy snacks offered by the company.
-Metro and commuter accessible
Cons
-Limited previous engineering management & medical device experience is evident (forces employee heroics), operational liabilities typical of small companies (but they hired a COO)
-Pay is lower than most places (especially in the DMV area), workload is significantly higher, and titles are not reflective of responsibility, but you don't join the company for those things (You join for the vision taking whatever sacrifices necessary).
-Not many good food options at East-West highway location;
-People don't always clean up after themselves in the kitchen (water jug, paper towel, dishes, etc.)