Pros
Cookware jokes aside, Made In is a place I truly enjoy working at and that's incredibly refreshing to be able to say about a job. Having worked for several other insane (and not in a good way) startups around town, it has been great to find a home that has the things I love about working at a startup, but doesn't make me cry in my car on the way home. Made In is young, but growing very quickly. Our products are awesome and we continue to hear that from our customers and some of the most talented chefs in the country who use our cookware. It’s a fun product to sell and work with, especially if you’re a foodie (or a wannabe foodie). There’s a low-BS culture, which is great. No one takes themselves too seriously, which I believe has come from the top down. Leadership is incredibly involved in the day to day execution, and I love that they aren’t ‘above’ doing anything that needs to be done. This is the first place I’ve worked where the Founders and VP level leadership is focused on overall strategy but also involved in the actual execution. That has definitely led to a unique culture, where people are willing to help each other out across the org. The best part about working here is definitely the people. There’s a great team of talented people who enjoy the work we’re doing and that I love getting to learn from. People are friendly, always willing to help and are really funny, which has made coming to work every day enjoyable.
Kontras
As with any startup, there are some growing pains. Growing quickly has meant that we’re often having to build the ship while we’re flying it. Sometimes that can be stressful, but it’s also exciting - just depends on your preference for chaos. There’s not a lot of planning or processes (though that has shown signs of improvement in recent months) which can lead to confusion sometimes. Communication is another area that has shown improvement, but is difficult sometimes. Overall, yes, there are some things that are hard and/or frustrating, like any job. But overall I believe the good outweighs the bad.