Pros
(1) Helping to build a viable circular economy, especially in the fashion industry, which every year releases 10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and contributes 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. (2) Working for a certified B Corp that aims to deliver on SDN goals. (3) Partnering with beloved, big-name brands. (4) Genuine trust from management that you're doing your best work, and they give the support you need to help you keep doing that. (5) Investment in fair pay, benefits, and DEIB. This company is accelerating the resale industry and managing to run progressive business at the same time. (6) Along with the previous note, a true flexible PTO policy. Your time away from work is really away. (7) Good-natured, down-to-earth, talented colleagues that are as driven by and committed to the mission and vision as you are. We all want to make this happen. (8) Leadership support for cross-functional hackathons and exploring ideas outside of the normal product development cycle. (9) Having colleagues that know how to help you find a good sleeping bag and plan a visit to a National Park!
Cons
(1) This is my first startup experience, and it's been a wild ride at times. I'm grateful to still have a job, since there have been several layoffs since I started. I'm sorry for my ex-coworkers that weren't so lucky (although I trust they were treated fairly, notwithstanding). The pandemic aftermath affected tech at large, and we were not excluded. I have faith that we'll make it through these tough times, but it's not been easy. (2) We've been on a really good track with this for the past several months, but when I first started there was confusion around priorities. Pivoting into and out of huge projects was a bit painful. (3) Building in more time for polish. We can always plan better throughout projects, but really being able to feel proud of what we ship would feel great and make a great impression to our current and future partners. (4) Not having full-time staff for sustainability or DEIB; yes, we can split these responsibilities across existing staff, but that splinters their ability to deliver on their actual role and on these topics.