Great team, but management lacks spirit - Senior Product Designer Small Improvements Employee Review

This team lives by its values! I’m appreciated for my individual talents and knowledge. Despite being surrounded by extremely intelligent people from whom I learn every day, I feel that my feedback and input are just as valuable. You will be free to advocate for organizational improvements and bounce ideas off your peers. Your ideas are extremely valuable to this team (even if those ideas are partially implemented, turned down, or are the basis for even better ideas from one of your knowledgeable and helpful teammates). You’ll fit in wonderfully if you bring a spirit of innovation. You will be given ample opportunities to take on cross-collaborative projects that interest you, are geared toward your individual growth, or reflect your particular skill set. You can also say no to projects or extra tasks that would stretch your bandwidth too thin or aren’t of interest to you so that you can bring your full focus to the projects that will allow you to make the highest impact. Every company says they prioritize work-life balance, but this is the real deal.

No cons so far! If I find any, I'll be sure to update my answer. Instead, I listed some considerations below. As we all have different preferences, I'm hoping this helps you decide whether or not Small Improvements is a good fit for you as well. - You will be asked for your feedback from day one. It takes courage to give feedback, and that courage is appreciated. - You will be given honest, direct feedback on how you can improve. If you are quick to get defensive, this may not be the right fit for you. That said, if you disagree with feedback after thinking on it, the giver of that feedback would be happy to discuss it with you. - Most of the team is in Berlin - United States team is fully remote (there is an office for Berlin-based employees) - It's a small tight-knit team (less than 20 as of now) - No commissions for sales (there are bonuses) - Job description isn't static. The roles evolve with the needs of the organization and will reflect your goals, interests, and skillset. - 100% bootstrapped, no investors. The success of the org is in our hands. - We are coworkers, not "family". We have full lives (and families) outside of work. This team is helpful and friendly, enjoys a good laugh, and celebrates wins, but at the end of the day, we are professionals expected to produce quality work, not family members to be coddled.

I've been working at Small Improvements for a few months now. Being a first time, remote employee, I have felt really welcome and included with the core team in Berlin. It is really clear that everyone is very passionate and open minded. Everyone is really eager to help and share knowledge.

It can be challenging to stay connected and feel comfortable with learning new processes and systems from a distance. I think the teams have really made an effort to bridge the gap but there are probably still 'Small Improvements' that could be made.