Pros
I've always loved that Mr. Rogers quote...“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” I joined Rivian because it's an organization of helpers. First responders in the form of designers and engineers, scientists and fabricators, accountants and laborers, surfers, mountain bikers, snowboarders, hikers, great-outdoors-loving people who run towards a problem rather than wait for someone else to solve it. I joined Rivian because it's not enough to look for helpers, it's more important than ever to be one of them. I have a hard time telling people I work for a car company because I think cars are the least impressive thing RJ has built/is building (which is saying a lot because those vehicles are super cool.) What he's done so selflessly, so relentlessly, is build the kind of organization that attracts big hearted people with overflowing ambition who stubbornly want to leave this planet better than they found it. He's given us the tools and space and leadership to do the impossible. Most importantly, he's in the thick of it with us. His humility is unmatched. His optimism is contagious. I cannot wait to see what this company does next and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this team at this very moment in our story. But we have a lot of work to do and we're going to need more helpers!
Cons
When people ask about work life balance, it's hard to answer because it all depends on what you consider work and what you consider life. This place isn't for everyone. It isn't a 9-5. We're building it from scratch. What we are trying to do has never been done before. Change can get messy. We're not only developing products, we're building an organization that looks for every opportunity to do things a little better than they have been done before. There's a lot to figure out but for some, that's the fun part.