RUN AWAY. DO NOT WORK HERE. - Anonymous employee Inkitt Employee Review

1.0
7 Mar 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You'll form deep, fast friendships—mostly through shared trauma—with your talented colleagues who, like you, have had their potential stifled by management. At least telling people you work for a werewolf porn app makes for a great conversation starter.

Cons

Every negative review you've seen about this place is spot on. If you’re not careful, it will crush your confidence and wreck your mental health. Ali, the CEO, has turned toxicity into an art form—he thrives on pitting employees against each other while pretending he’s not responsible for any of the chaos. His way of speaking to people is beyond disrespectful, and his leadership style is purely fear-based. Anyone paying attention knows that the man who demands CEO approval for a $5 office supply order has absolute control over everything that happens at Inkitt. They talk a big game about "moving fast," but in reality, management just plays a never-ending game of hot potato, passing decisions around to avoid making a call that might upset Ali. If he likes you, you’ll have a lot of freedom—at least until he changes his mind. But earning that favor means sacrificing your personal life entirely. He genuinely seems to believe that paying a market-rate salary entitles him to every hour of your day. If they suspect you’re job hunting, expect direct confrontations. The SF office lives in fear of being fired in this job market, while EU employees have slightly more security thanks to labor laws. If you decide to work here, brace yourself for nonsensical OKRs, being asked to take on tasks way beyond your job description, and being gaslit into believing that extreme micromanagement is just part of their "transparent culture." Spoiler: there’s nothing transparent about this place. In 2024 alone, nearly half the company turned over. Long-term employees don’t even bother learning new hires' names anymore—most of them will be gone within a month or two.

Explore other reviews about Inkitt

5.0
31 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Being able to lead projects independently from A to Z and be trusted for it - Engaging daily with a creative and passionate team - Being part of exciting new projects in a fast-paced, fast-evolving industry - Steep learning curve, you'll be pushed out of your comfort zone and grow fast

Cons

Inkitt is a fast-paced start-up with no set playbook. People who love structure and need to be managed and told what to do may find it challenging.

5.0
26 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Inkitt is one of the few places that actually sits between tech and media in a way that works. A manuscript comes in, real reader behavior tells you whether the story has legs, and the team turns that signal into a career for the author. I think about reader retention and narrative pacing in the same conversation now, which I didn't before.

Cons

The flip side is that the playbook doesn't fully exist yet. Some weeks you're inventing the process while running it. Energizing if you like ambiguity, exhausting if you don't. Worth being honest with yourself about which camp you're in before signing on.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All