It all sounds so good. It's mostly a lie. - Software Engineer BetterUp Employee Review

1.0
28 Aug 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Coaching really is beneficial. They at least get that part right. When the company was focused on coaching and coaches, it was doing good work.

Cons

There is a broad, solid, unmissable line between "agile" and "chaotic", and BU is firmly on the "chaotic" side of that line. Imagine a friend or family member you know, who is extremely talented and intelligent, but struggles to be successful due to inadequately treated ADHD. Now imagine that's a corporate strategy, being touted as a virtue. No organizational structure lasts longer than a quarter. No initiative ever takes *less* than a quarter to bring to market, so work gets abandoned or deprioritized, half-finished. Conway's Law is universal, so the complete lack of consistent structure, strategy, or architecture, means the software is a nightmare, despite some extremely talented people working on it. Worst of all, in a company dedicated to helping others achieve psychological safety, there is no psychological safety. The company is governed by fear and scapegoating. It wasn't always that way, but somewhere in the last couple of years, they lost the narrative.

Explore other reviews about BetterUp

5.0
10 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I'm not held here against my will for a cause... I'm paid to do something I actually care about. I see a lot of people on Glassdoor debating the strength of the business model, but I've never seen anyone argue that what BetterUp is trying to do isn't worth doing. I'm a part of a company thats net positive for the world. That alone feels like a feat in 2026. AND I'm getting paid well. No "mission discount".

Cons

This isn't a money-growing-on-trees unicorn startup from 2018. This business model is hard. We're selling human potential development when most companies are trying to figure out how to replace humans with AI. Its not easy but I think its kind of important... A lot of people experience being overwhelmed here. Thats real. It happens enough that clearly the culture is playing a role. Every company has its own version of crazy. My advice to people thinking about working here: ask direct questions in your interviews to figure out if you're okay with Betterup's kind of crazy. You'll get honest answers. After 3+ years I've genuinely grown to love it

2
5.0
10 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nearly 8 years in, and the work still pulls me forward. What keeps me at BetterUp is that the problems are genuinely hard and genuinely worth solving. I came from engineering, so I'm wired to care about infrastructure, not just features, and this is one of the rare places where you can build something foundational and actually see it move metrics, clear escalations, and unblock a whole go-to-market motion. The mission isn't decorative here. I can feel the thread between the work and the outcome. BetterUp also trusts you to figure things out across lanes. I've written SQL, prototyped with AI tools, facilitated workshops, and co-designed vendor strategy, all as a PM, because the culture doesn't penalize curiosity or reaching into adjacent territory. And honestly, some of my closest friendships came out of this place. The people I work with, on engineering, on cross-functional teams, and in peer mentorship, are people I genuinely learn from and, in some cases, people I can't imagine not having in my life. That combination of meaningful infrastructure work, real trust, and people who challenge you and become your people is not easy to find. The benefits span beyond general work-life-balance, if you're curious about something, there's always an open door to learn and contribute. As a woman in tech, I cherish the fact that our colleagues listen to women, and our insight is taken into account instead of just ignored. It's nice to feel safe at work, able to speak your mind freely.

Cons

If you want a boring job, this is not the place for you.

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