I do not believe that 1build has what it takes to make it as a company unfortunately. It starts with incompetent leadership segues into failed vision and quickly trickles all the way down to unsatisfied customers, at least when they existed. Now, 1build has no customers because it has repeatedly failed to prove that people actually want the product and it has taken a backwards approach to product development. Let's see if they can convince an enterprise company to buy their fancy spreadsheet. Going through the list here:
- Vision is crumbling. When I joined, the vision was grand and seemed attainable. Execution and strategy from leadership has been utterly disastrous.
- Zero diversity. We maxed out around 3/30 women (at a single time). No efforts to change this.
- Working people to the bone with unrealistic expectations (or generally failing to set them up for success) and then disposing of them when they "underperform".
- We were told at a recent company offsite that we had plenty of runway and constantly reassured that the strategy in place would carry us through an economic downturn. Here we are, two layoffs later. At a 30 person company, this is beyond shameful and reckless.
- They consistently did not put people first. You can't run a successful business without treating people well (this does not mean just paying them well). Everyone is seen/treated as disposable.
- There is little trust and this boils down to leadership having no clue how to hire people and subsequently don't trust them to perform. The people you hire trust you to deliver on your promises and leadership at 1build has continuously failed them. So many people hired/fired, what a disgrace.
- There is no transparency.
- Constant double standards from leadership. They laid off half of the company then held an offsite for the remaining employees in Cancun. CEO buys a house in Miami weeks before layoffs.
- Mismanagement of money is rampant and reckless - No strategy or direction. In the past year, we have flip flopped between Sales-Led Growth and Product-Led Growth, mostly because leadership seems to have no idea what either mean or when to apply them.
- Constantly changing "policies" around things like severance and parental leave. People being treated differently based on how they felt that day.
- Culture means absolutely nothing to leadership, despite their declared "values". You have to EMBODY values, you can't just say them. Atmosphere reeks of fear, micromanagement and general toxicity.
This ship (well, dingy) is sinking fast. Stay far away if you value your sanity and security.
