Start-up company, but more mature than most - Software Engineer Forever Employee Review

4.0
18 Dec 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The work is flexible, with the company focusing on results, not on metrics or on hitting strict deadlines. Working from home is allowed even without prior approval, and managers allow for flexible hours. Free soft drinks, coffee, and tea at the office. Office atmosphere is casual. No dress code, and there's Beer Friday where people meet at 5 PM to share beer provided by the company and to socialize. Developers submit their plans to management, but are trusted to determine what is important. PTO is paid off at the end of the year if not used. Beautiful view on the 20th floor of PPG Plaza. Monthly status meetings where the CEO explains where the company stands and what is planned next. Holiday party with bonus. Clear review structure.

Cons

More than 40 hrs is still expected, as is typical of a start-up company PTO has an upper limit of 20 days per year. There are 5 required shutdown days per year where employees must spend PTO. As with most start-ups, there is some uncertainty.

Explore other reviews about Forever

5.0
24 Apr 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of opportunities. Flexible management structure. Ability to move between departments.

Cons

Your work priorities are always changing.

2.0
16 Nov 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I negotiated a decent salary and, at the time, the team that worked there was great.

Cons

This company has failed. In three years the company has failed to garner a solid user base. Rather than admit that there is no market for the product, the CEO purchased a business with a larger customer-base and rolled them into Forever to bolster the quarterly numbers. Once that showed signs of struggling, rather than traditional marketing, he pushed a move to Multi-Level Marketing. Make no mistake, Forever is a Pyramid scheme. Having worked first hand on the technology, the claim of Forever as 'permanent' photo storage is dubious. The direction the Engineering team is headed, it won't be long until things fall apart. The decisions about the technology that support the Forever guarantee are decided between a CEO at the top who is clueless about tech, and an ego-inflated tech lead who has no real-world experience in building the kind of applications that can support such an endeavor. Anyone interested in working there needs to know that nearly every engineer that is working there today was not there 6 months ago. The turnover rate is atrocious because on the surface Forever looks so great and has a great vision, but from the inside it is one of the most poorly run companies I have EVER worked for. The problems start at the top with the CEO, who has gotten as far as he has by talking, not delivering.

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