CEO Fired half the company via email - Anonymous employee Amazing.com Employee Review

2.0
Apr 26, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Was a positive atmosphere where coworkers were able to be themselves and work flexible hours, the CEO had previously given everyone startup money for their own business, we were able to decorate our desks to show our personality

Cons

The CEO sent an email firing half of the company via email and wouldn't let them pick up their items from their desk. I guess we should have seen this coming. The outsourcing groups were caught stealing, the teams were being restructured all the time, and there was really unclear direction on who was supposed to be doing what

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Amazing.com Response
9y
I apologize for the late reply. Our HR manager responded to your review shortly after it was written, but I’ve decided to come back here and respond personally. Thank you for your feedback. Back in early 2016, we had to let go of a significant portion of our team because we were running out of money. Had I not made that decision, we would not be here today. I take full responsibility for putting is in that position in the first place. I idealistically and naively thought we could change the world by dramatically reducing our prices and making up the lower revenue with significantly higher volume. It did not work. I should have never shut down our core products to completely change our business 180 degrees, regardless of how good my intentions were. This is the first business I’ve grown to such a massive scale so quickly. It’s been a wild, chaotic, and very bumpy ride (especially up to mid-2016). Fortunately, we’ve learned a lot. Today, two years later, we’re doing better than ever. Our company is thriving, we’ve clarified our purpose and our path, and we involve the company in our annual strategic planning so everyone is crystal clear on where we’re going. We also practice open book management and transparently share the company’s performance. There will never be any surprises about the company’s performance. We know our team members have families to feed, houses to pay for, and lives to support. We take that responsibility very seriously and will never repeat the same mistakes that led us to near failure two years ago. Thank you very much for the feedback and I apologize we didn’t live up to our standards of creating a rewarding, fulfilling, and fun place to grow for you. Matt Clark, Executive Chairman, Former CEO, & Co-founder

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5.0
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Pros

Fun job with a great staff of people. Large range of hours to pick from for scheduling since most locations are open late

Cons

Most customers are nice and respectful but employees have to set boundaries with some due to the nature of the business.

3.0
Apr 27, 2026
Anonymous employee
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CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Strong, collaborative team with many talented and supportive colleagues Opportunities to be part of meaningful work and see real impact Culture generally driven by good intentions and a desire to do things well Memorable experience working alongside a diverse group of people

Cons

Periods of organisational change created uncertainty at times Shifts in direction could occasionally impact stability and consistency Some phases felt more reactive than planned

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