AT LEAST ONE REAL REVIEW: THE UGLY TRUTH WORKING AT FI
Pros
The only good thing was the salary and some cool and smart engineers.
Cons
Before I joined, I reached out to former employees who shared their thoughts. They mentioned that the CEO's communication style could be challenging. The ensured that as a designer you will not work on the actual product but will only do marketing work like designing emails and IG posts. The CEO did indeed have a unique and direct communication style. This often created an atmosphere of apprehension within the organization. Some colleagues privately expressed their fear via Slack messages. Personally, I found it manageable with some adjustment, rather than as extreme as others had described. The organization predominantly operated in a top-down fashion. There was limited room for discussion and collaboration. When the CEO made a decision, it was considered the final word. Even the Product Manager I collaborated with expressed frustration regarding this hierarchical approach. It is a one-man show. Another practice within the organization was the enforcement of asking questions during All Hands meetings. Often times, individuals were publicly called out forcing them to ask a question even if you truly don't have one, which raised eyebrows. The CEO's insistence on having cameras on during meetings. It seemed reasonable for smaller team meetings, but feels odd during larger meetings with 50 people or so. This shows the fundamental distrust the CEO has towards the people he hired. No opportunity for growth. Absolutely no leadership. There's a serious lack of diversity and inclusion. Hiring and firing were routine. One day you are communication with your peers on Slack, the next day their account is deactivated. This was normal. No open dialogue. Toxic environment and fundamental distrust in decisions that are made.
