A great learning opportunity as well as a chaotic start-up atmosphere - Product Designer Kotn Employee Review

2.0
Jul 21, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Incredible marketing team, with lots of experience in both new innovative social media solutions, and in standard industry practices. A young team with lots of enthusiasm. Innitiatives to help expand the cotton farming industry, and in supporting child literacy in Egypt.

Cons

With all start-ups it is fair to expect a certain degree of uncertainty. Turn-over is extremely quick for such a small company. I did not find that the priorities were developed. There was a degree of environmental focus, but it did not have the budget to be put into practice. There was a degree of product focus, but it did not have the experts needed to develop the style and fit that was originally proposed. Although there was a focus on building out the farming industry in Egypt, there was no clear focus on directly improving the lives of the farmers, except that they could expect a more regular paycheck. It was not clear if the farmers were being paid a fair living wage. It was not clear what the investor's intentions were, and if they were interested in fair living wages for all humans involved in the production process. I understand that investors normally focus on the bottom line (monetary value) but with a company that has such a strong humanitarian and environmental brand image, it was assumed that the investment money would come from like-minded individuals and companies. There was no clear focus on future initiatives. I only say all of these things so that other previous and current employees can find solace in feeling confused or undervalued. And I hope that the company will make necessary improvements to continue building child literacy in Egypt. The ideas are there, the execution is not.

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5.0
Aug 15, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very kind staff and positive people to be around.

Cons

None, this is the best retail store ever

1.0
Apr 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

• Store level teams tend to support each other despite the environment

Cons

• Expectations are consistently high, but support, staffing, and compensation do not scale with them • It’s entirely possible to exceed goals, drive results, and still receive little to no meaningful recognition or growth • Performance standards feel less like a benchmark and more like a moving target • Upper Management often demonstrates a lack of operational awareness, creating inefficiencies that fall back onto store teams • Direction from leadership is often unclear, inconsistent, or reactive, creating unnecessary stress and inefficiency • Feedback channels exist in theory, but in practice concerns are minimized or redirected rather than addressed • Workload is normalized at a level that leads to burnout, not sustainability • There is a clear disconnect between what the company promotes externally and what employees experience internally

3
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