Kernel

3.0

Dec 15, 2017

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

They recruit the best. Your coworkers will be extremely bright & top of their field. Close-knit startup culture. Catered lunch & full snack cabinet. Very flexible with times you come in and leave. CEO is very charismatic and good at reminding everyone of why their job is meaningful, which it is. Good compensation. Most of all, at any given cocktail party, you can assume you have the most interesting job in the room....

Cons

Job security. The other review was spot on. At this point, the company fired more people than there are currently employed. Most startups are started with an idea and then get $. Kernel was founded with $ and is still looking for its idea. Because of that they are always 'pivoting' to the next idea. That's fine, but the problem is, at every pivot they hire the best talent only to let them go few months later at the next pivot. People have moved across the country and left vice-president positions at huge corporations only to be let go in a few months. So just know, if you join Kernel, be very conscious of the risks. Also, as in any startup, there is a cultural expectation of hard work and longer hours. In many of Kernel's departments, expect to work 9-7. Influence is increasingly being concentrated in the hands of 'business development' (which has little neurotech experiance), while scientists have diminishing say.

Kernel Response

In writing this review, I appreciate your appreciation for the things that we work hard to get right. As you know, Kernel is a rapidly changing and dynamic environment. We have a bold mission to make significant breakthroughs in a field with substantial technical, scientific and commercial challenges. As such, this is not your typical startup - there is no map, no book of answers and no oracle with whom to consult - something that everyone who joins Kernel understands extremely well. Decision making must be based upon first principle scientific and technical analysis with the ultimate constraint of business viability. I sympathize with the strain felt by those laid off, but the most responsible thing I can do as a CEO is adapt as quickly as possible to the scientific, technical and business insights generated for long term viability. While changes are necessary for progress in any fast-moving, dynamic field, the resulting difficulties are not lost on me and I’ve tried to do my best to treat employees with the utmost care, fairness, and respect during this process. I appreciate your work and the sacrifices you made to give this a go. I wish you all the best in your next endeavor. Bryan Johnson Founder/CEO Kernel

Fun, but high chance of layoff - Anonymous employee Kernel Employee Review

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