One of the worst startups I worked at - Senior Software Engineer Apollo.io Employee Review

2.0
Jul 12, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

base comp though less than industry standard for US, it works

Cons

The organization is facing significant leadership challenges. Individuals with limited experience—often less than five years in the industry—are being promoted to senior director roles without the necessary skills to lead at scale. While work-life balance is promoted on paper, the reality for many teams is intense pressure and burnout. The culture leans heavily on weekly performance tracking, with managers being penalized rather than supported. Unreal expectations on what a person can deliver. There are also concerning practices around workforce management, including reports of employees being let go shortly before equity vesting periods—raising questions about fairness and long-term employee trust. Overall, the environment lacks stability and strategic leadership, more in engineering, which is critical for sustainable growth and employee well-being. They scrape data from linkedin and sell it which is a shady practice. LI blacklisted them and shut down their page. They rebranded themselves as an advertising company. LOL!

Explore other reviews about Apollo.io

5.0
Jun 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company gives engineers a lot of ownership and trust. You are encouraged to take initiative, make decisions, and drive projects end to end rather than just following instructions. The pace is fast, but in a good way — teams move quickly, experiment often, and are generally open to adopting whatever tools, processes, or technical approaches are best for the company and customers.

Cons

Nothing major comes to mind. Like any fast-moving company, there can be moments of ambiguity, but that is also part of the ownership and high-impact environment.

1.0
Apr 8, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Only the fact that it's remote work, and maybe not even that.

Cons

Not even sure where to start with this company. This is probably one of the most erratic companies I have NOT had the pleasure of being a part of. The lack of structure within job roles is alarming. There were several employees that I worked with who literally had no idea what their true job descriptions were, with the responsibilities and priorities within roles shifting almost daily, leaving people stressed and confused. Upper management is absolutely clueless about the day-to-day, nor do they care to be involved. The expectation is to "just do" and "do it fast" without question, even at the expense of your time, mental health ect. I honestly have never experienced such a company absent a clear framework. They use about 100 different "productivity tools," which makes it close to impossible to work cohesively and produce high-quality work. Everyone is basically operating on their own and "hoping" for successful results. The turnover is super high, and people are leaving left and right, which is a huge red flag. I would not at all recommend this company if you are looking for a place that offers any kind of structure, work-life balance, or an organized environment.

5
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