Toxic Culture, Unfair Dismissals, and Lack of Integrity
Pros
• Worked with a highly skilled and resilient team. • Opportunity to support and structure an AI initiative from the ground up. • Gained valuable experience navigating chaos and organizational politics.
Cons
No job security, constant layoffs: During my time, at least three product managers I reported to were let go. My team was repeatedly reduced — three developers were fired arbitrarily, and AI developers left voluntarily due to poor conditions. Despite all of this, the expectation was to deliver consistent results without any added support. • Blame-shifting culture: I was terminated under the claim of “bad team performance” — an excuse that is both unfair and factually incorrect. Team performance issues were a direct result of leadership decisions, including staff reductions. Moreover, a Scrum Master — not the PO — is responsible for performance management. Our team had strong performance for at least three PIs (Program Increments), with a clear roadmap and deliverables that were being met. • Micromanagement and distrust: Leadership exhibited extreme control — including the Chief Product Officer monitoring my personal LinkedIn activity and requesting timestamped proof for my own posts. • Manipulative tactics: I was asked to prepare a full 2-month roadmap, decompose stories, and guide the team through change — only to be blindsided when a new PO was hired behind my back and I was told to leave immediately, without even a standard notice period. • No real support for innovation
