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Technology Will Save Us

Is this your company?

A painful disappointment - Anonymous employee Technology Will Save Us Employee Review

2.0
Dec 19, 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

To add to a common theme: there are a number of truly exceptional staff members: exceptional in their talent, dedication and empathy, and from whom nobody could ask for more as colleagues. There are few other small companies that provide the opportunity to work on relatively unique and interesting products, and the breadth of things to learn while working here is unusually large. Exceptionally good branding, digital, and product design - the company punches way above its weight in this regard, and this is valued and upheld internally. Equipment/IT and general office management is very well executed for a company of this size.

Cons

Against a background of high staff turnover and unrealistic company targets, staff - particularly junior staff - are encouraged to work long hours and to make the business and the work a core part of their lives, for no additional reward or acknowledgement. Those who manage to pull through end up digging their own graves - "exceptional" overwork becomes the rule due to the founders' inability to see that this is not a sustainable way to run a business. Numerous talented and capable "buffers" were hired in recent years to try to mitigate the operational and managerial failings of the founders, but they were driven or pushed away when it became clear that they were undermined or otherwise not empowered to make the necessary changes. Extensive lip service is paid to wellbeing, inclusion, and even work-life balance, but this flies out of the window at the first sign of stress or pressure: instead, these platitudes become another tool with which the founders can gaslight the employees into believing that staff wellbeing is in any way a priority. Similarly, the company "values" are used as bludgeons for getting the founders' way in almost the same breath that they are used as examples of a positive culture. Name a toxic startup trope - you will find it alive and well here.

Explore other reviews about Technology Will Save Us

5.0
May 7, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Awesome atmosphere great place enjoyed

Cons

No downside extremely close atmosphere everybody bows everything

4.0
Sep 17, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- There is a team of dedicated, passionate, intelligent people working to design toys that inspire millions of kids around the world to love STEM. There is a particular emphasis on keeping everything gender neural to appeal to all children. - There is a culture of 'freedom and accountability' - You’ll be given the freedom to set your own strategy, work hours that suit your schedule (childcare etc.) to achieve the goals for your role. But if you do not deliver, you are held accountable. - The Founders and many of the team are parents. This keeps decision making and strategy grounded and focused on serving the needs of families and kids. Members of the team who are not parents are invited to regular user-testing session to engage with the products and kids first hand! - Cross departmental and collaborative working are actively encouraged and celebrated. There is lots of variety and no two days are the same. Every member of the team has the opportunity to work with many different facets of the business. - There are clear guidelines and structures for meetings, keeping meetings to a minimum, concise and focused. This allows for lots of ‘working time’. - Managment invest in top of the range equipment (MacBooks etc) and care about the working environment. The London offices reflect the playful nature of the brand and values. There are cute perks like bike storage, quality coffee, and the team take it in turns to chose the music in the office.

Cons

- The global toy industry has gone through 12 months of unprecedented change, this has meant that toy businesses have had to adapt to survive (many have not!). These pressures to adapt quickly have made change a constant for the past year which can be challenging for some people. - There has been significant team turnover in the past 12 months at all levels of the business. There is no one reason for this in my opinion. This can be unsettling and challenging for some people.

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