Pluspunten
Fair pay, and health insurance was good. Though it's only part of the overall job satisfaction equation.
Minpunten
I wanted to share some real talk about my time at Sourcegraph, especially since you might be considering a role there. It's always good to go in with both eyes open, right? The work environment at Sourcegraph isn't just a mixed bag; it presents considerable challenges. They've made a strategic pivot recently, but that's only part of the story. The leadership team has been completely overhauled multiple times in just two years. It's tough to have any confidence in the longevity of the current leadership when you've seen their predecessors shown the door one after the other. Initially, these changes brought a sense of hope, but by the third round, it's hard not to feel a bit sorry for the new leaders who are trying their best - just like the last ones did. Regarding the executive team, to put it simply, they lack experience. There's a palpable sense of internal strife, almost like they're participants in their own version of the Hunger Games, each afraid of being the next to go. This atmosphere of uncertainty doesn't lead to outright micromanagement, but something perhaps more frustrating. Often, you'll receive vague directives like "make it better" without clear guidance on what that actually means. If you dare to ask for clarification, you risk being labeled as entitled. And remember, how you interpret and act on these vague instructions will come back around in your impact reviews, which I'll get into a bit more later. Job security is a significant concern. Layoffs have become a recurring theme, not just an occasional blip. It's happened several times over the last two years alone. With the management structure in constant flux, you never really feel settled. It's like standing on shifting sands, always unsure of where you stand or who you'll report to next or if they will even be left around by the next review cycle. Now, let's talk about the impact reviews. Sourcegraph has been around for a decade, so they're far from a startup. The real issue is that they're struggling to find a way to significantly increase revenue to finally IPO. The CEO and CTO seem to be out of fresh ideas, so there's this pressure on employees to come up with million-dollar ideas - or to “make it better” 😉. If you don't come up with something that substantially boosts the bottom line, you're labeled as not making an impact, putting you at risk of being in the next round of layoffs which always seem to be just around the corner. Even if you do come up with a great idea, it gets absorbed by the top brass, and then it's back to square one - you need another big idea, increase your commit rate (which gets judged at impact reviews) or go back to helping endless new hires, new management, and customer success team navigate a tech stack that's been left hollow by the departure of the many skilled devs that owned them but have left due to layoffs or attrition and hope that they perceive those efforts as impactful. In short, while there are some perks like fair pay, the overall environment is fraught with peril, from unstable leadership and job insecurity to a high-pressure culture around million dollar feature ideas. It's a lot to take on, and I just wanted you to know what you might be getting into. Wishing you the best in your job search and career. Take care!