FreeWill Reviews

Laid off with zero warning after repeatedly being reassured by the co-CEOs that our company would NOT feel the impacts of industry-wide tech layoffs. Initially, I was disappointed, but saw this move as a business decision. However, after seeing jobs that people were laid off from being re-posted within a couple months, huge hiring bonuses being offered for certain roles, and execs boasting about the company’s massive success, it really feels like a slap in the face. I now feel like all of the things we were told when we were laid off was nothing more than lip service, and completely disingenuous. I truly wish the company well, as I greatly respect my former colleagues that continue to work hard every day - but would caution anyone seeking job stability and leadership transparency. The only reason I still gave the ratings I did were because the bulk of my criticism has to do with how the layoff was handled, not my experience while on the team.

It takes time to transition from a scrappy startup. The original engineering team was entirely junior, and they are just coming to the end of dealing with cleanup of past mistakes. The best decision made to date was to replace the head of engineering and hire more senior engineers which has made the engineering team much more professional. This has yet to happen on the design team, which has the same issue. The head of design does not have the requisite experience and doesn't want to hear from anyone who does. The design team is timid and afraid to do anything innovative. This will be the company's Achille's heel until senior management realizes the business value of a functioning design team, especially as we try to stand out from the competition and need innovative ideas to find our market niche. FreeWill is a risky venture in a very competitive space. I feel that either we could find a strong niche or be easily copied by a competitor. Right now we're throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.