Supportive colleagues and strong benefits overshadowed by instability and layoffs - Staff Engineer Productboard Employee Review

Working for Productboard is a dream come true. Though I didn't know what we did before joining, our Product, People, and Customers are delightful at every turn. There are also great benefits like an in-person company kick-off, performance-based bonuses, healthcare, and more. I get to work remotely, but this isn't common in our hiring for current roles with the majority being hybrid.

Productboard is a startup so that means the future of the Product can change in a moment. This can be frustrating for customers and is something to settle in to and try your best to attend to their needs. Our leadership is supportive and doesn't make lofty assumptions on what's possible.

Strong, thoughtful colleagues across the organization A shared drive to succeed and push the business forward Competitive perks and overall employee experience Meaningful investment in helping employees build AI fluency relevant to their roles

Increasingly challenging leadership dynamics at the executive level A noticeable rise in internal politics Lack of gender diversity within the executive team The company recently went through a reduction in force. While workforce changes are not uncommon, especially in companies navigating transformation, the execution left many of us with deep concerns. The new CFO, in particular, has raised some real concerns around trust and leadership style. At the company kick-off in February, he openly joked that people would probably see him as the *hole, and that even though he might make people’s lives difficult, they’d still end up liking him. This joke landed poorly and felt more like a signal than something to smile about. Since then, the environment has started to feel increasingly political. There’s a sense that you either stay in the CFO's good graces or risk becoming a target. That dynamic has been called out openly, which makes it even more uncomfortable. Whether intentional or not, that perception has had an impact on morale. Overall, it’s created a culture that feels less about collaboration and more about navigating personalities and political power plays.