Pros
The People - Many employees across the organization are talented, capable, and genuinely committed to doing good work. There is a strong sense of professionalism and pride among individual contributors, particularly within Sales, Marketing, and Product Development. When given the opportunity, teams are willing and eager to collaborate and solve problems together. The Customers - The customers are passionate educators who truly care about their students and the future of physical education. Working directly with schools and teachers is meaningful and serves as a constant reminder of the importance of the work. Impact on the Next Generation - The products deliver real value to younger generations by supporting physical education programs and helping shape lifelong habits around movement, health, and wellness. Knowing that the work contributes to improving physical education outcomes for students nationwide is genuinely rewarding and purpose-driven. Strong Mid-Tier Leadership - Many managers and directors at the mid-level are thoughtful, supportive, and capable leaders. They advocate for their teams, promote collaboration, and try to create stability and clarity despite significant constraints placed on them from above. Willingness to Collaborate at the Ground Level - At the peer and team level, collaboration is strong. When barriers are removed, people show up ready to share knowledge, support one another, and move the business forward. The desire to work cross-functionally exists—the challenge is not willingness, but access and empowerment.
Cons
Top Down Control Disguised as Vision - The issues at this company are systemic and flow directly from the CEO. He set sail to become the “visionary,” aligning the company with EOS in theory, yet insists on dipping his toes into nearly every decision made within the organization. There is zero trust or autonomy for the leaders in place. Right person, right seat? It doesn’t exist. EOS may sound great on paper, but it is not lived, modeled, or respected in practice. Leaders Without Power - leaders want to lead—but they can’t. They are suffocated by red tape, second-guessing, and constant interference. Authority is an illusion here, and accountability only flows downward. This results in slow execution, disengaged leaders, and frustrated teams. Customer Service Operates as a Power Center - Customer Service functions as a gatekeeper rather than a partner. Internal collaboration with CS is restricted by rigid process, requiring all communication to flow through a CRM ticketing system—even for time-sensitive, customer-facing issues. This structure routinely delays resolution, escalates preventable issues, and damages customer relationships. Attempts to resolve matters outside this system are met with reprimand rather than problem-solving, reinforcing a culture of control instead of collaboration. Ineffective VP-Level Sales Leadership - The VP of Sales lacks accountability, follow-through, and backbone. He is a yes-man, afraid to go against the grain to do what is right for his team or the organization. His tenure has produced dashboards full of data, data, and more data, along with expo-marker whiteboards and roadmaps that lead absolutely nowhere. He speaks in big words and makes empty promises that never materialize. Trust was never earned and never will be because he cannot see—or refuses to acknowledge—what is directly in front of him. His unwillingness to challenge obstacles or go against the grain in any way has stifled leaders who are capable, motivated, and desperate to do real work. Zero Work-Life Balance - There is no work-life balance. The mandate to be in the office five days a week is sold as “collaboration,” which is laughable when collaboration with the most powerful team in the company is explicitly restricted. What’s the point of being in the office when you’re not allowed to talk to the people controlling the customer experience? Underpaid and Overworked - Compensation is menial compared to equivalent roles at other organizations. Expectations at Gopher are significantly higher, yet pay does not come close to matching the workload, pressure, or responsibility. Values That Don’t Exist Internally - The company values are polished, attractive, and effective at pulling people in from the outside. Once inside, you quickly realize they only exist on walls and in recruiting materials. • “Move fast to innovate” has come to mean doing what’s best for one department without any strategic thought about how it impacts sales, customers, or revenue. • “Fast, friendly, easy, right” translates into more trackers and meaningless KPIs that do nothing to drive business or revenue. Those values should internally translate to proactive communication and real collaboration to drive change and revenue. They don’t. Leadership Detachment From Employee Impact - The CEO’s pockets are already heavily lined, and it shows. The basics of being a good employer fall on tone-deaf, well-insulated ears. Employee concerns are not ignored because they are hard to fix—they’re ignored because leadership doesn’t feel the consequences. For the rest of the exec team, they insulate from the day-to-day effects of these decisions. Employee feedback is acknowledged but rarely acted upon, signaling a lack of urgency or ownership. Basic elements of a healthy workplace—trust, empowerment, and balance—remain unaddressed.
