Pros
There are several very smart people to work with. Relations with non-management coworkers are generally fun and upbeat. The proprietary technology the company has under the hood is indeed very interesting, and in the right hands, could be game-changing.
Cons
I've never felt so strongly that I needed to warn people away from a company as I do with this one. The CEO initially comes off as a gregarious individual who says and does all the right things to make you feel welcome, valued and fully invested in the company, its products and its goals. However, once you're established, a number of things begin to happen: - You find that the promises initially made to you about your role and working parameters evaporate, in some cases with a denial that those things were ever said at all. - You'll discover that you and your coworkers are working under a form of Stockholm syndrome, in which you attempt to fine-tune every communication so as not to be perceived as a threat, and in which you consider your good days to be those in which you were neither verbally abused nor subtly threatened by the CEO. - You discover that some people have been or are being let go, summarily and without notice, on the perception that their work is inadequate, when better management and communication would have allowed that person to thrive and contribute greatly to the company. - You hear stories of other employees being verbally abused. - You'll find that your time is not respected, that you are working long hours with no appreciation, neglecting your family if you have one, and are struggling for approval whereas most of the time you receive some form of scorn. - You feel that if you were to speak up and address these issues directly, you could be fired instantly. - You may find the hand of the CEO lingering on your shoulder, in a way that feels ostensibly friendly but is actually dominant and inappropriate, and that you are afraid to say anything about it lest he negatively change his attitude toward you. If you begin working for this company, you run the risk of being fired without notice and without severance. Although the CEO makes claims such as "We do not operate on fear," this company could be a poster child for operating on fear. If you are a recruiter, the founders will look for ways to avoid paying you your fee by getting out of your contract, or may try to change the parameters of your agreement suddenly, prior to hiring. If you do business with this company in any other capacity, you can expect poor communication and poorly-defined requirements, which will only become apparent after the bulk of your work is done and they have begun expressing disapproval, placing all of the blame on you. If you are a recruiter, do not send potential employees to this company. If you are a job seeker, steer clear. Until this company gets some management in place that can deal with the co-founders' needs and manage other employees with respect, they will continue to burn through and alienate people until their reputation is so low that they won't be able to find anyone to work for them. They do not seem to realize, much less embrace the fact, that employees talk - with each other, with their friends outside of work, and with others in the community who might be potential candidates. Although the technology may be compelling, you can do far better than to subject yourself to this company's abuse.