AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST - Business Development Representative (BDR) State Affairs Employee Review

1.0
May 15, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Literally none aside from remote work (which they are ending) and your coworkers being solid people

Cons

Oh boy where to start: Echoing the title, avoid State Affairs at all cost unless you like horrid pay, unobtainable goals, no respect for work life balance, and abysmal, unorganized, micromanaging direct leadership. -Goals completely unobtainable (30 discovery meetings a month) to avoid paying an actual wage and commission (52k base 75-80 OTE which you will never see), they will say it is possible “because you can hit them cross channel between email, LinkedIn, and cold calling” which literally any BDR position worth their salt will do at any company with reasonable goals. -Out of touch and Machiavellian management, that will threaten your job security on your second week if you don’t produce results right after lackluster training with no ramp period. THEN will fire you after one month (Literally lasted a month and after not being able to work 4 days due to walking pneumonia, was let go despite offering to forego my upcoming vacation to make up lost time) -Care more about pointless activity than producing results, ver betum leadership had stated this and will expect hundreds of calls a day AND hawkishly micromanage ON THE HOUR, expecting you to stay late to meet their pie in the sky arbitrary expectations. All in all the worst professional experience I’ve ever had or heard of, god help the good people still suffering there.

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State Affairs Response
4mo
Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. We’re genuinely sorry to hear that your experience was so negative and did not meet expectations. That’s not the outcome we want for anyone who joins the company. We aim to be transparent about role expectations, compensation structure, and performance standards, especially in a fast-paced startup environment, but it’s clear from your review that you felt unsupported and unfairly treated during your time here. We take concerns around onboarding, management approach, workload expectations, and how health-related situations are handled very seriously, and feedback like this prompts internal reflection and review. While we may not agree with every characterization, we do appreciate you calling out specific issues, particularly around training and ramp periods. Those are areas we continue to evaluate and improve as we grow. We wish you the best in your next role and hope you find an environment that better aligns with what you’re looking for.

Explore other reviews about State Affairs

5.0
Apr 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

State Affairs sits at the intersection of AI, news/media, and policy, which is a pretty amazing place to be if you're interested in any one of those, much less all three. The team is growing incredibly quickly and the level of talent is high. The product velocity is astounding, and in a matter of months they build a best-in-class solution with a totally new perspective on how to serve customers. Customers love the product, team is great to work with, and incredible amounts of accountability and room for growth. People work hard, but it's a really constructive culture where feedback is fast and not personal and the value comes in quickly learning from mistakes and growing quickly.

Cons

Usual pains of a fast-moving startup. Product and company is moving faster than process, which is exciting, but can lead to inefficiencies and rework.

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State Affairs Response
2mo
Thank you for sharing your experience at State Affairs! It’s rewarding to hear that our mission at the intersection of AI and policy, along with our fast-paced culture of accountability, has been such a positive fit for you. We appreciate your candor regarding the "startup pains" of moving faster than our internal processes; we are actively working to bridge that gap to reduce rework and improve efficiency as we scale. We’re glad to have your talent on the team as we continue to build this best-in-class solution together.
5.0
Jan 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I am a recent undergrad and have worked at State Affairs for a few months now as a software engineer. I would recommend working here, especially as an engineer, to anyone looking to accelerate their learning and ability to contribute. The product is very promising and has been gaining traction across every industry I could name. I know this because the engineering team, BDR sales team, and even the editorialists work very closely together, and their achievements are broadcasted. This alone contributes to the company culture, but there is much more to be said. The hiring team clearly emphasizes both skillset and culture fit, as evidenced by the collaboration and eagerness to help me when needed, as well as the high expectations for me coming in. My ramping experience has been incredibly fast but equally rewarding. I was pushing production code week one while simultaneously learning the stack and best practices of the company. It is very cool to see your impact that quick. There is certainly a grind culture here, but that is to be expected from any startup that is serious about their product, and with strong leadership to back it up, my enthusiasm to be here hasn’t dulled. I will add that compensation is very competitive and benefits include ISOs, healthcare, and generous PTO. I strongly recommend it!

Cons

I have very little cons to provide. Like I said, the grind culture my not be for everyone, but that is up to the engineer. That being said, it is definitely valued here, and I would encourage anyone to give it a shot.

1
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State Affairs Response
4mo
Thank you for the detailed and enthusiastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that your ramp-up has been fast, impactful, and rewarding, and that the close collaboration across engineering, sales, and editorial has stood out to you. It’s especially great to know you’ve felt supported while being challenged from day one. That balance is something we work hard to maintain. We appreciate your honest perspective on the culture as well; building something meaningful at a startup takes real commitment, and we’re grateful for teammates like you who lean into it with enthusiasm. Thanks for being part of State Affairs and for recommending us to others.
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