normal - Software Engineer AICS Employee Review

- people at IC level mostly good - salary is competitive (but not comparable with big tech)

The longish glassdoor review essentially covered all the key points. It resonated so much that management even addressed it during a recent all-hands meeting, though not in a particularly convincing way. A major issue is that the parent company, ASUS, operates as a hardware manufacturing firm where processes are predictable and can be planned months in advance. This "planned predictability" mindset severely hampers AICS's goal of "disrupting" a highly regulated industry (health tech) with risky, experimental products and features. The leadership team—those with titles containing words like Chief or General—are likely well aware of this tension. However, instead of leading with courage and taking responsibility for both successes and failures, they spend time engaging in politics. In practice, this means shielding themselves from accountability by using vague language (e.g., "mission mentality") and giving intentionally unclear directions. This allows them to avoid blame for decisions that, in a start-up environment, are bound to backfire. The responsibility for these decisions often falls on middle managers or individual contributors, creating unnecessary stress and hampering the productivity of those who are truly tasked with delivering results. I've witnessed people resign because they were forced to defend poor decisions they had no part in making. Those who remain tend to play the political game, keeping a low profile to avoid being blamed for failures. Instead of fostering an environment where employees are encouraged to take risks and promote successful ideas—hallmarks of a start-up—the focus shifts to pleasing higher-ups, which is the main reason for low productivity.

High salary and flatten culture

Rush in everything and bad practice