Pros
- Several amazing co-workers and managers (however, many of the most talented have already left or are on their way out) - Interesting and open-ended problems to solve - Technology has the potential to completely re-make the market for DNA sequencing platforms - Lunch is provided - Nice view from lunch room and office areas
Kontras
- Nepotism and cronyism mean that leadership roles don't go to the most talented or most experienced. In some cases, managers with backgrounds in electrical engineering have managed teams of molecular biologists, and these managers lacked the self-awareness to know they were out of their depth and needed to defer to the scientists with relevant training. This has resulted in bad decision making and a loss of (frustrated) talent. - Company culture, which trickles down from the CEO, is mean spirited. Entry level employees are treated as disposable, and more experienced employees get bullied by the CEO. Company has been compassionless during the pandemic. Productivity was valued over safety and the wellbeing of employees. Bench scientists were forced to complete computer-based tasks on-site (despite county Covid-19 guidelines) so that the CEO could see them working during his daily "walk-through". - Company overpromises to investors and potential customers and then tries to hold scientists to the impossible promised timelines. This never works. - Employees are jumping ship, especially on the wet-lab side of the company. Nearly half of the biologists and several critical executives have left in the past few months.