Pros
I was able to work with some of the most talented and enthusiastic folks in the industry. There's an incredible culture of writing quality code, even when client projects presented less-than-ideal circumstances. I was also exposed to a wide variety of technologies through my coworkers that I'm so happy to have under my belt now. Managers granted me a high level of trust and autonomy. I could get my job done how I saw fit and I knew management would have my back, even if I made a mistake. I was also supported in saying "no" to clients and in truly working towards creating a successful outcome for projects, even if the results weren't ultimately perfect. There was also an excellent work-life balance. I was never required to work ridiculous hours and could leave my work at work. Management enabled me to enforce strong and healthy boundaries with clients. All of these pros I've mentioned allowed me to grow immensely as a developer.
Cons
-- Client rotations -- I truly loved the variety of work that I was exposed to, but client rotations were difficult and stressful. thoughtbot did a pretty solid job of picking good clients, but some client projects were really rough and left me fried. Towards the end of my tenure, I was yearning for more predictability and consistency. Part of the reason I left thoughtbot was to join a more stable product company with a tighter focus in terms of the toolset and expected work. -- Compensation -- Pay is lower than the market rate. I'm not sure if thoughtbot will ever be able to compete with the rest of the industry in terms of pay. This is another reason I left thoughtbot. -- Transition to remote work -- Naturally, there were lots of challenges around the transition to remote work, especially for me in feeling connected to my friends and coworkers. thoughtbot's management was extremely cautious about condoning gatherings, even post-lockdown. The move away from location-based offices/hires and a desire to not exclude our new non-local coworkers added to the caution. The company I left for faced similar challenges in moving to remote work, but they put effort into enabling in-person connection, so I know it's possible despite the current global situation. -- Politics and Culture -- I think thoughtbot missed the mark on their mission for folks to be able to "bring their whole selves to work". There's a heavy lean towards progressive/far-left politics, and many loud voices often espoused views that made me very uncomfortable about sharing my own. Management often shared political views that also made me feel this way. I'm an open-minded and compassionate individual. I'm interested in creating a world where people have all the tools and opportunities they need to create better lives for themselves and the folks around them, but that didn't feel like enough if I were to voice differing opinions.