Pros
- Learnt most things about how to run a startup at Unifize - Had a great feedback loop (recurring retrospectives) with the company founders to constantly grow as a developer and an employee - I was able to contribute meaningfully to the company's roadmap - The founders have been more like mentors to me - Brilliant company outings (pizzas!, lunches, dinners, beers, camping, bowling) which I still miss today! - The founders would constantly take efforts to improve the company's culture and ensure employee engagement - Each employee (tech & non-tech) was involved in all the business related meetings and activities - TechStars was a brilliant experience which was meant mainly for the founders but all the employees were encouraged to be a part of it too. I've learnt so much just by being around the folks at TechStars. Speaks volumes of how much the founders encourage the team to contribute towards more than what their job role is. - The founders would weekly update us on how the company is scaling, what the trajectory is and how much value our work is adding to the growth of the company. - They put faith in you when you haven’t even proved your value to the company - I was with Unifize when they were working out of WeWork and later CoWorks. Early on I was skeptical of working in a co-working space only to realise how well maintained these places are and how much you get to network with other folks around. - While I was with the company, I was given a salary bump without having to ask for it - I’ve been so closely attached with the team, the tech and the product vision that if you wake me up in the middle of the night, I’d be able to pitch Unifize to you.
Cons
- If you’re not willing to take ownership of the product and just want a passive contribution to the company you join, this might not be the right place for you. - If you want to limit your contributions to only your job role, this might not be the place for you. - I wish they gave me more pizzas.