4y
First and foremost, I'm sorry for your experience at Telnyx.
While there are elements of truth to your comments (i.e., I was pro in-office prior to COVID-19, along with many other tech leaders (some of whom remain so today)), it's clear that you have not been with the company for a while. Prior to COVID, we allowed for unscheduled WFH days as well as an open PTO policy. Today, the company is remote-first, and will continue to remain so regardless of what happens with COVID-19.
No one is counting hours, though we continue to have high expectations of our team. We certainly don't try to motivate through fear, though I can see how it may have felt that way given the seriousness with which we take the mission-critical systems we build and support. Ultimately, it's my goal to promote a transparent and welcoming environment where employees feel empowered to contribute and speak up.
I agree, things change at Telnyx constantly - at a rate that may suggest it's simply at a single person's whim - but it isn't. This is a complete team effort. The business and industry are competitive and ever-evolving and I am lucky to have a wonderful team in place around me. We will only be successful if we can continue to adapt quickly. I can only hope that remains the norm at Telnyx as we scale.
I do admit that I am not perfect, but we all continue to learn, grow and improve. I'm thankful that we have so many veterans, including a good number of folks who have left, only to ultimately return.