DigitalCM Reviews

### Role & Expectations The position was advertised as a role at a modern, agile software company. The environment lacked true agile practices. There were no consistent planning cycles, product roadmaps, or end users. The so-called “software division” operated more like an experimental side project than a structured product team. ### Leadership & Culture Decision-making was highly centralized, with the CEO directly involved in even the smallest details. This often derailed projects without explanation and ignored professional expertise. Industry standards and best practices were regularly overridden. Attempts to introduce processes or improvements backfired. Praise quickly turned into rejection or reversal, creating a culture of fear where speaking up felt risky. Meetings were consistently used to reprimand the development team rather than provide constructive direction, which left morale very low. ### Workload & Hours Work-life balance was effectively nonexistent. Time estimates were routinely cut in half, and the expectation was to simply extend hours to cover the difference. A 40-hour week was openly dismissed as “not enough,” which meant consistent overtime, including nights and weekends. Deadlines were arbitrary and shifted constantly. Employees were expected to be reachable at all times, and not responding quickly could result in reprimands. None of this was mentioned in the job ad or during the interview process. ### Treatment of Employees PTO and sick day policies were minimal. Only 2 sick days were granted annually, PTO accrued slowly, and unused time off was not paid out upon departure. The culture often relied on fear and guilt. Employees were told they should just be happy to have a job, and when projects inevitably failed due to poor planning and lack of focus, responsibility was pushed onto the team instead of leadership. Developers were told they were Product Owners, but in reality that meant all of the responsibility with none of the control. At the end of the day, the CEO had final say, and he exercised it frequently. ### Crisis Handling During a hurricane evacuation, employees were still expected to work remotely under stressful conditions. Even without power or stable living arrangements, the message was clear: make up the hours, use PTO, or go unpaid. No accommodations were made, which felt incredibly cruel given the situation. ### Product Reality Much of the development work felt geared toward producing quick demos rather than building long-term, stable applications. This created a cycle where projects were rushed to look presentable in the short term, but rarely given the support or planning needed to mature into lasting products. As a result, the work often felt more about appearances than sustainable growth. ### Final Thoughts Overall, this was not a healthy or sustainable workplace. The lack of structure, unrealistic demands, and top-down culture created an environment where burnout was inevitable. This is not a place for growth, it is a place where employees are drained rather than developed.

Leadership is volatile, defensive, and quick to misinterpret normal conversation as criticism. “Feedback” often takes the form of guilt trips or public shaming, which destroys morale. Work-life balance is nonexistent. 40-hour weeks are treated as laziness, while remote work is restricted or revoked on a whim. Priorities change weekly. Projects are started, abandoned, restarted, and rarely finished, with employees blamed for systemic failures. Demos and appearances take precedence over building functional products, leading to endless rework and mounting frustration. Despite being in operation for many years, very little has actually made it to market, a direct consequence of poor direction and micromanagement. Professionalism at the top is inconsistent at best; even executives aren’t spared from being undermined in front of staff.