Worst Job I’ve Ever Had - Machine Learning Engineer Activeloop Employee Review

Exponential growth, learning something new every day. Interesting tasks. Constant feedback from the CEO, small team. As the team is small, besides just coding, I attend events, try to sell what I built, and handle marketing. Also, after some time started doing backend engineering or any tasks outside my role scope that block me, but I can handle them. Very transparent. Flexible with dayoffs or WFH.

Sometimes late-night, holidays, and weekends work. The only way is to fully believe in the product and love what you are building. Also, we are only on-site.

I genuinely can think of maybe 3 and its the founding AE, the American engineers, and the COO. They're the only ones who have an idea of what they're doing.

1. Lack of Marketing Leadership: The Chief Marketing Officer lacked expertise in key areas of marketing leadership, resulting in limited strategic direction. Basic marketing tools, such as CRM integrations and lead scoring, were not set up, making it challenging to prioritize and manage leads effectively. Suggestions for improvement were dismissed, with a preference to maintain the current, minimally effective outreach system. 2. Insufficient Onboarding and Equipment Delays: No formal onboarding process was in place, leaving me without a clear understanding of workflows and company strategies from the start. Despite advance notice, a work laptop was not provided until several weeks into my role, limiting my ability to fulfill key responsibilities, like scheduling meetings with potential prospects. 3. Unrealistic Deadlines: I was asked to secure event sponsorships with only four weeks' notice, an expectation that would typically require significantly more lead time. 4. Communication and Feedback Issues: Company policies and available tools were not clearly communicated, leading to public critiques in meetings instead of constructive, one-on-one feedback. Misunderstandings arose due to unclear role expectations and a lack of supportive guidance from management. 5. Disjointed Company Culture: The main office was a small studio in Mountain View, while much of the team appeared to be based remotely, creating a fragmented sense of company culture. Interactions with new employees were often strained, and the workplace culture could feel isolating, especially for those seen as outsiders. 6. Negative Work Environment: The overall culture was challenging, with a tendency to be unsupportive of new hires, creating a strained and uncomfortable atmosphere. There was a pattern of delayed paychecks and limited resources, affecting job satisfaction and overall morale. Overall: While the company has some dedicated team members, it would benefit significantly from improvements in leadership, communication, and cultural inclusivity to create a more effective and supportive workplace.