Great people and in-office culture. Not so great pay and communication. - Software Engineer Forward Employee Review

4.0
Jul 19, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Best people I've ever worked with. Super friendly and social environment. Great group of passionate and smart people. A lot of opportunities to dive deep and get hands on with engineering problems right when you start.

Cons

Lower compensation. Toward the end, I had less confidence in the company and felt that we were straying away from our previous exciting initiatives. Sometimes vague answers/guidance from leadership. Lack of diversity/women in leadership. Most of the engineering teams are underfunded (in terms of headcount) and individual members feel the stress of needing to get things done.

Explore other reviews about Forward

5.0
Jan 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Supportive and collaborative team, strong product mindset, clear goals, and respect for design. High ownership, trust, and autonomy. Leadership is open to feedback, and designers are involved in real product decisions, not just visuals.

Cons

Fast-paced environment with a lot of responsibility, which may not be ideal for someone looking for a slower or more structured workflow. Priorities can shift as the company grows, but this is typical for scaling teams.

3.0
Sep 30, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

1. Smart and friendly coworkers 2. Good engineering culture 3. Opportunities for growth

Cons

1. Not-profitable - Forward never found a working model to solve the problem, and anchored heavily on solutions that lacked market-fit evidence. Contradictory to the problem-focused culture at Forward. 2. The finance problems lead to urgency. Work was demanding and tough across the org. However, engineering velocity was not the problem to begin with, leading to a vicious cycle of unmet goals -> tighter deadlines. 3. Frequent and fundamental shifts in company priorities leading to disorganized sprints and planning. A lot of work were throw away despite long hours invested.

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