CEO Anger Problems, CTO Spineless - Anonymous employee Darby Smart Employee Review

What Darby does well: - As an engineer, I love working closely with people from other departments, such as design and product. It's at an early enough stage in the start-up that there's plenty of room to have impact, give feedback and help shape product. - There are some aspects of the culture that I really appreciate, such as new hires being encouraged to get coffee with everyone on the team and having everyone gather for lunch together on Tuesdays and Thursdays. - I'm pretty happy with the people who have been hired at the company so far. Everyone respects one another, works hard and seems talented. It could be because the founder is female or by happenstance, but there's currently a decent proportion women at this company and I'm excited to work with and learn from the many strong, talented women who work here. (Work at a usual tech start-up with a typical gender ratio and you'd definitely notice the contrast!) - The team is still small and office culture is casual. There's usually some casual music playing and the office, while not large or polished, is pretty neat-seeming. Dress code is casual and I love wearing whatever I want, whether it's hoodies or something fashionable (not necessarily just tshirts and jeans), without it sticking out. - I enjoy working on a consumer product that is hip and relates to fashion, beauty and hobbies, which makes it accessible to a wide audience and appeals to my own interests. - I'm learning a lot about running an early-stage start-up and trying to find a business model that is successful and sticks. At this stage in the company, I'm exposed to a lot of topics that I wouldn't necessarily encounter at a slightly larger company. - For engineering management, Nicole has done a good job and hired Chris Norris, a veteran of previous successful start-ups like Polyvore, who has experience scaling engineering teams. It's rare to find an empathetic but experienced manager who cares about the people on the team and their growth, as well as the success of the team.

- It's early and things are real. Things change often and this is not where you come if you want a cushy, no-brainer job with max stability. Come prepared to work hard to make an impact. - I'm used to much cushier benefits but the company is not at the point where that necessarily makes a ton of sense. We're all working hard to make the company successful before we splurge on things that makes the team happier in general. Examples: Insurance is available but could be better, no commuter or gym benefits, catered food is 2x a week only. - I was concerned by reviews going in about Nicole Farb and her personality. Overall I've been impressed by her intellect and capability on several occasions, but I don't directly report to her and have witnessed that she has a no-nonsense, demanding personality with those she trusts and relies on. That said, I think she's learned to be discerning and keep it in check, delegating leadership and management to well-picked execs so she can focus on the direction of the company herself. - Product strategy is still being worked out, sometimes it seems like the direction is not 100% clear but it is also clear we have something that works as a base and has potential to be much more successful, which is why we all still stick with it. Leadership does do a pretty good job of trying to track data and evaluate results, what's important is figuring out _what_ data to track, what experiments to run and determining what features we need to focus on. Personally, I feel that though we're fumbling through this phase, I'm also learning a ton from witnessing it first-hand. - Area the office is in is not the most posh area, but it's also not the worst. I was worried at first because it's near by worse areas a few streets away (more towards market and a few streets over nearby 4-6th is where the adult shops and homeless SOMA people live) but the few streets around the actual location aren't as bad.

I get challenged to think differently every day by a group of diverse and talented people. Regular feedback is a part of conversations I have with my team and I get the same from my manager. I have incredible respect for Nicole (CEO/Co-founder) who articulates her vision and challenges me every day to work smarter and think outside of my paradigm. She's taught me so much and I expect to get as much as possible from her. Karl (CTO/Co-founder) is insightful, thinks critically (uses data), and always thinks about our users during decision making processes. He empowers us to make decisions and teaches us skills (like SQL) to help us make smart decisions. The benefits are great! We have unlimited PTO and I take time for myself regularly. I don't have to pay for my health insurance! Overall I really enjoy the challenge and the benefits I get out working at DS.

This is not a place to work if you want to coast. The goals are aggressive and it's expected that everyone contributes. Not a place for people who want to take it easy!