Is this Kodak in 2002? Bright, wonderful people in an unfocused politics-laden top-heavy mess - Marketing Dolby Employee Review

2.0
7 May 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

--very, very bright research and (to a lessor degree) development --few employees under 35 is not good, but it means the culture is mature, adult, high-functioning, and respectful. I enjoy working with (most of) my co-workers more than any position in my career. --excellent pay and benefits, especially every other Friday off --periodic educational presentations on various audio topics --fascinating audio research in a number of areas, though little of it turns into products or revenue

Cons

--stagnating company means politics (land grabs and maneuvering to secure ongoing roles) --heavy internal promotion of under-qualified employees who have been here for years, and have no outside perspective or experience to help bring positive change. The result: frustrated top talent steadily leaves (or is pushed out) to work at companies which actually build products. Remaining management turns into group-thinkers overseeing disspirited "yes men". --long-tenured mediocre performers not removed --inconsistent and often poor people management, with nearly no management training or monitoring by HR --vast majority of revenue from a single product (Dolby Digital Plus surround sound), which is increasingly irrelevant because of stereo devices like tablets and smartphones. --near total failure to execute in mobile (public information) --key underlying patents are expiring (also public information) --few employees under 35, and just as few customers under 35 who know or care about the company --consumer marketing is a muddled mess, and partners aren't marketing on behalf of the company --multiple acquisitions with no clear on-boarding process, and little-to-no resulting revenue

Explore other reviews about Dolby

5.0
11 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nice people and great work life balance

Cons

Antiquated business processes have made it difficult to enter into the modern era, often leading to spending time working on the wrong things.

4.0
27 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of freedom in choosing research topics

Cons

Too many meetings, but it may be just specific to the group I was in

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