Work-from-home is the only plus but management and vision need improvement - werkgeversreview Anonieme werknemer bij Augrade

Freedom of technical implementation(trial/error). Best place to start the career. Futuristic project. Remote work facility available.

Team players may not like the work environment, as team is scattered across globe. Sometimes in a critical situations, you might feel, someone with more experience available in the team could have guided you. But with time, things might change.

Work-from-Home Flexibility: One of the biggest positives was the remote work setup. It saved commute time. Chance to Take Ownership: I was encouraged to take responsibility for my own work, which was a good opportunity to grow. Early-Stage Exposure: The company is early in its journey with very few customers and minimal revenue, based on what current employees shared.

No Proper Structure: The company lacked a defined structure. Roles and responsibilities were often unclear. Some of my colleagues day to day work is irrelevant to their role. CTO’s Role is Unclear: After working there for a year, I had no idea what the CTO actually did. It genuinely felt like he didn’t have a technical background or understanding of the work, which affected the entire engineering direction. Poor Management and Leadership: The management was generally disorganized and ineffective. The leadership style felt more like control than guidance. The CEO, in particular, was not a leader—he tended to boss people around, micromanage, and created a toxic atmosphere by comparing employees, blaming others when things went wrong, and showing clear favoritism. Hire-and-Fire Culture: There was a revolving door of employees. People were hired quickly and let go just as fast. There was no sense of job security or long-term commitment from the company. Unrealistic Expectations from Interns: Even part-time student interns were expected to work like full-time employees—long hours, full availability, and no flexibility. It was extremely demanding and unbalanced, especially for students. Gaslighting by CEO: There was a consistent pattern of emotional manipulation. The CEO gaslighted team members, undermined their concerns, and created a toxic environment. Dreaded Monday Calls: Weekly calls, especially on Mondays, were disorganized, immature, and frankly, a waste of time. They often felt like performances where the founders argued or rambled without any clear problem statements or direction. No Employee Benefits: Basic benefits like insurance, provident fund (PF), or even a standard holiday calendar didn’t exist. Employees were expected to work weekends and even on public holidays. Despite the claim of “unlimited leaves,” the work culture made it difficult for anyone to actually take time off. Unprofessional Communication Tools: All work-related communication happened on WhatsApp—including team calls. There was no separation between work and personal time, and people could (and did) call you at any time. It was a major red flag for any professional environment. Widespread Dissatisfaction and Attrition: It honestly felt like no one enjoyed working there. Based on LinkedIn and internal chatter, many of the original founding team members had already left. The remaining employees seemed to be staying only because of their own reasons, not because they believed in the company or its leadership. Complete Absence of Team Building or Employee Engagement: The company made no effort to promote team building or foster any sense of connection among employees. Everyone simply came in, did their work, and left—no events, no activities, no opportunities to bond. This created a cold, disconnected, and isolating work environment that seriously hurt team morale and collaboration.