You Gotta Drink the Kool-Aid - Research Associate Stratos Genomics Employee Review

Interesting science, vibrant co-workers, and dedicated management with some perky benefits in a cool downtown Seattle location.

Long hours and challenging commute.

The fast pace is such that you get exposed to new challenges every day. I think I haven't been bored here in well over a year. They keep a fairly positive culture (which is necessary because the hours are long), and when everyone is excited to be here it keeps the energy high. The science is very cutting edge and it feels great to be surrounded by so many smart engaged people. The compensation starts out fairly low, but they ramp you up very quickly (in both salary and options).

Most of the downsides are encompassed in the fact that SG is a successful startup. Many times it feels we have to "win back" days to meet our milestones and make it to the next phase. We work 8am-7pm as a standard day, and cram the days full of experiments that might otherwise take twice as long if we were more relaxed. The first month is usually a tough transition, and I'd say ~10% of the hires don't fit in and eventually leave.