Knak Reviews

Pros

I feel so lucky to be a part of this amazing company! Working at Knak has been an absolute blast. Every day I get to collaborate with brilliant people on some fascinating projects. This role is my first fully remote position and I was nervous at the onset about whether I would be able to connect with my coworkers. I'm happy to report that those worries were quickly forgotten once I met my amazing team. From day one, the atmosphere here has been warm and welcoming. Everyone is always ready to lend a helping hand. Knak has a very well-thought-out set of core values that every single employee lives and breathes every day. The "Maintain Balance" core value really struck a chord with me when I saw it in action. Every company says they promote a healthy work/life balance, but here at Knak, this is more than just talk. I've been so impressed with the hard work that everyone puts in during the workday and equally so with their ability to close the laptop and be present in their lives after work. I'm very much looking forward to my future here at Knak!

Cons

Being fully remote means that I don't get to see everyone in the office every day. While I absolutely love having the flexibility to work remotely, I hope to one day spend some time with my team in Ottawa.

Pros

Knak has been amazing in helping me grow as a professional and individual. From day one core values are on full display on all levels of the company. The culture is second to none with all team members having the same motivation to drive fun and success. Knak is a unique fast paced environment and I could not be happier or more proud to be a part of the TEAM!

Cons

I have no comment on any downsides. Knak rocks!

Pros

I can into Knak as the first and only Account Manager after hearing all the hype through various rounds of interviews and personal connections, I thought, "could this be too good to be true?" The great news is, it wasn't! Not only was their onboarding smooth as butter, but the culture was also something that everyone knew and practiced liberally. The product stood on its and own delivered immense value, so much so that the customers at Knak at some of the happiest customers I have ever worked with. I even asked my boss if he paid off my book of business to be extra nice to me for the first few months, spoiler alert... he didn't! Outside of the culture and outstanding leadership, my day-to-day is pretty awesome too! I was handed some really cool projects (some within and some outside my traditional duties) and awesome opportunities. Not only was I given these but I was trusted to deliver with a fairly hands-off approach, other than if I needed help, I knew I could get it from a leadership team that truly understands the industry, the product, and people in general. I can't say enough good things about this company and people have asked me since I joined how it is going and I can honestly say this is the best and most fun job I have ever had!

Cons

As a startup, there are tons of little things that can always be improved but are as a result of growing pains. When a company goes through periods of hyper-growth and maturity advancement there is a lot of catch-up to do from a documentation and process standpoint. However, with that being said, this is my third startup and Knak documentation and processes are the best that I have seen, This is also where I thrive so if you love creating and making an impact on a company then you won't really see this as a con, you will see it more as an opportunity to leaving a lasting impression. To stick with tradition, let's get a fancy coffee machine so I can finally have my monring decaf at the office and not the turbo juice you have in the machine!

Pros

I've worked with over 20 companies in my career and cannot say enough about my experience at Knak. Starting at the top, the management at Knak has put a ton of effort into having the best teams possible across all departments. As a company that is growing insanely fast they have taken the time to find the best people and keep an amazing culture from the ground up. They are always keeping a pulse on how the company is growing and have made all the right decisions when tough choices need to be made. Management treats everyone with respect and trusts the people who they hire. I've been here 3 years and have never felt micro-managed, I've had all my thoughts heard and I've been treated with the utmost respect from everyone working here. Working with every single employee at Knak is a pleasure. The level of competence, the willingness to help and learn, the feeling of being open and honest is something I have not seen before in anything I've done so far in my career. On the company level, I'm super excited for the future here. There's so much happening and so many big wins happening almost daily it seems these days. Every year the company collaborates to sets goals on the growth of the company, departmental and personal goals and this year we have already crushed them with months to spare. And they reward it.

Cons

There are a few areas that I feel don't get enough attention because of how fast Knak is growing. While I can't say it's overly stressful because of how it's managed, we are moving quickly on things and things often shift around because of new customers and things happening in the industry. With rapidly growing teams and growing product it has been a bit of a struggle to find time to work on the foundation of things and putting things in place to automate the things that could save a lot of time in the long run. But it seems like with the summer months coming it seems like that is actually something Knak is aware of and is working on.

Pros

- Culture. Can't emphasize culture enough. This company really puts their money where their mouth is. It's something that comes from upper management and trickles down to, literally, every single employee. Everyone is nice, helpful, and super good at their job. - Freedom. As a developer you have the choice to work on features you are interested in for one day a week.

Cons

Really can't think of anything.

Pros

Some of the newer people are really nice and good to collaborate with. That's about it.

Cons

The company looks nice from the outside, but if you look under a rock or two, you'll find some interesting stuff. For example, why did the ENTIRE marketing team, the ENTIRE design team part ways in March? Seems off for a growing company... Large government grants have helped to subsidize some of the company's costs. Shouldn't the company be stable on its own? Without getting into details, some weird personalities around this place, not somewhere I'd ever want to work again.

Pros

I made the scary choice to leave my previous company and soon after came across Knak at the perfect time. The CEO is the kindest CEO I have ever worked for and everyone on the team is a rockstar. Knak has an awesome set of core values that the entire team sticks to and actually implements every single day. Every time I come to work the entire team is working so hard, there are smiles on their faces and they are genuinely happy to be there, as am I. I felt more at home and comfortable with this team after the first week than I have after years at previous companies. Everyone is super helpful and so friendly and I am so happy to be a part of this amazing team. Can't wait to see what the future holds for this company and I plan to be a part of it for as long as possible!

Cons

There are coffee drinkers on the team. I prefer tea myself. (I won't hold it against them...they are still fantastic people).

Pros

Everyone who works at Knak is so talented! Management does a fantastic job of making us aware of their vision, and what their plans are to get us to the next level. The product is fantastic and continually evolving – it is so refreshing to work on a product that our customers love due to its innovation and ease of use. We are a team with big goals! Because we are still relatively a small team, everyone has an opportunity to work in different areas of the business that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to if they for example, worked in a larger organization. Management actively encourages and organizes brainstorming sessions where everyone gets to share their ideas. I feel like every option is considered, regardless of who it comes from. When product releases happen, we all have an opportunity to test drive and offer feedback, reinforcing the idea that everyone is responsible for the success of the company. Working from home is an option that is always available to us – another sign of the total trust the management team places in their employees.

Cons

So much to do and so little time - there are just not hours in a day but time really does fly when you're having fun!