Sadly not what it used to be - Lead Software Engineer Kraken Employee Review

3.0
8 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible work hours, unlimited leave, generally a good amount of autonomy over how to solve a problem although that seems to be reducing. Some really great engineers which makes it a fun place to work for the day-to-day and a good place to learn.

Cons

This company used to have moral and ethical principles, and prided itself on not selling its software to clients that weren't aligned with these. That has gone out of the window. Senior leadership claim we must compromise for the big green dent, but it really (as so often) appears to be all about the money. The current leadership is also noticeably starting to be more top down, and starting to ask us to cut corners to handle the issue that they have oversold and can now not deliver and to make the figures look better for a likely IPO.

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Kraken Response
3mo
Hi there, Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. It’s great to hear that you value the flexibility, autonomy and the calibre of engineers here, that day-to-day learning and collaboration is something we’re really proud of, and we know how important it is to protect that environment as we grow. On your concerns around client alignment and leadership direction, I want to acknowledge that growth inevitably brings tougher decisions and more complexity. Our ambition to make a meaningful impact in the energy space hasn’t changed, even as we scale. Balancing commercial realities with long-term principles isn’t always simple, but it’s something leadership discusses carefully and regularly - we have recently had great discussions at our AMA's around this and I would encourage you to give these a watch if you haven't had the chance too yet! We also recognise that as we take on more customers and expand into new markets, clarity and sustainable delivery matter. Looking after all of our staff, including engineers, and maintaining high standards is critical to long-term success - it’s not something we take lightly. If you’d be open to sharing more about your experience or specific concerns, I’d genuinely welcome the conversation. Thanks again, Olivia Roberts olivia.roberts@kraken.tech

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