Culture Rich, Growth Potential, But Very Centered Around One Person - Software Senior Engineering Manager Direct Supply Employee Review

3.0
13 Aug 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of opportunities. Company has a lot of growth potential if everything is managed correctly. Has a very distinct culture. If you like an immersive culture, then try out DS.

Cons

Company is too centered around the one major stock holder - the founder. All of the executive staff beneath him work and complain about how they have to figure out how to make him happy. To me, this is not a good situation. While the culture is great, it can at times almost seem oppressive. If you wish to go to work, do a good job, and not participate, it may be viewed negatively. For the size of the company, way too much money is being spent on AI without any real and clear direction.

Explore other reviews about Direct Supply

5.0
27 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Profit Sharing, networking options, 401k match, work from home options

Cons

There are some cliques which makes it hard to fit in

1.0
3 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The entry level employees are genuinely some of the nicest and most collaborative people you will meet. The office culture at the peer level is strong and supportive. The hybrid schedule provides flexibility and the office is dog friendly which makes the day to day environment more enjoyable.

Cons

From a sales perspective there was a clear gap between leadership expectations and what was actually realistic in practice. Year over year quota increases often felt disconnected from actual market conditions and deal flow. Even after strong performance, targets were raised significantly which made consistency difficult over time. The compensation structure also changed in a way that reduced earning potential while expectations continued to increase. It created a situation where reps were being asked to do more without a meaningful upside, which made it harder to stay motivated over time. The company positioned itself heavily around being an early adopter in AI and tried to push that narrative internally and externally, but in practice it felt more like chasing a trend than solving real business problems. A lot of effort went into building an internal AI tool, but it was not well aligned with what sales teams or customers actually needed and it struggled to create real day to day value in deals. Part of the issue was that the AI initiative was largely built by a team that did not have strong day to day sales or business context. It felt like there was a gap between the people building the tool and the people actually using it in live customer conversations. For a long period there was also very little direct shadowing or input from frontline roles, and real workflow feedback did not seem to be incorporated until well over a year into the rollout. At times it felt like leadership was trying to compare early AI adoption to early internet adoption, but the reality was much more complex given how fast the space was evolving and how competitive it already was. A lot of focus went into messaging and positioning, but less into ensuring the tools actually improved sales execution or solved clear problems in the field. Communication from leadership to employees was often unclear which led to shifting priorities and misalignment on what success actually looked like. Overall the people on the ground were strong and easy to work with, but execution, expectations, compensation structure, and the AI strategy made it a challenging environment to consistently succeed in sales.

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