Pros
I love that we solve a tricky problem that lots of businesses have, we're building on top of technology that gives us a fundamental advantage over our competitors, and our product has paying customers. Ultimately, these things make me optimistic about Thematic as a company and about my work. In terms of our team, people here have many years of previous experience at places including Google and Microsoft. I'm glad we have a lot of experience to bring to bear on the problems we solve here. I like the work/life balance. I've worked at places where the phrase "work hard/play hard" comes to mind. I'd characterize this company more along the lines of work smart/enjoy life. Is that cheesy? Maybe. Point is, none of us want to create a culture of startup burnout. (Our cofounders have young children; it helps that the emphasis on sane work hours starts at the top). Aside from the above, there are a lot of great things about working at a small startup that aren't necessarily unique, but I appreciate nonetheless: we all have a lot of autonomy, we're all working towards the same goals, and we all feel the impact of our work very directly.
Cons
We're an early stage startup, so the satisfaction of building a new business comes with risk and uncertainty. There are days where it feels like we're facing impossible challenges, which can be disheartening.