Workplace Politics: The environment was highly political. Lateral hires were often sidelined and not given equal opportunities or recognition.
Unrealistic Expectations: OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) were often unachievable given the regular workload. Management did not consider ground-level realities.
Innovation Pressure: Despite already handling multiple roles (developer, tester, sometimes even designer), developers were still expected to deliver "innovative" side projects. This was never part of the original job description.
Work-Life Balance: Extremely poor. The pressure to constantly prove oneself meant extended working hours with very little personal time.
Unfair Distribution of Work: Feature responsibilities were almost entirely on developers. QA involvement was minimal, and accountability was skewed.
Compensation & Hikes: Salary hikes were negligible, even with high performance. Promotions and raises seemed disconnected from actual contributions.
Lack of Transparency: Communication from management lacked clarity. Important decisions, including exits, were handled poorly.
Flex fridays, Pizza parties: All just for a while (eyewash), once the staff number increased, they cut these off🤣