Return-to-office (RTO) disaster: After years of hiring remote-first and selling flexibility as a competitive advantage, leadership reversed course overnight. They already knew ~30% of tech would resign as a result. That isn’t “AI-era alignment” (as it’s spun in town halls); it’s a quiet headcount reduction. Expect HR to frame it as “collaboration” and “intentional in-office time,” but for those affected, it was nothing more than broken promises.
Dishonest communication: Benefits and policies are constantly reframed as if they’re improvements. Example: the 4 “M-Powered” wellbeing days became a forced 2-day summer shutdown. Instead of simply saying “we can’t sustain this as we scale,” it was spun as “better for everyone.” This tone — upbeat on the surface, corrosive underneath — runs through all comms. You’ll often hear “we value transparency,” but in practice, candour is absent.
Mission drift: The original mission — apprenticeships as a real alternative to university, unlocking potential over privilege — inspired people. That’s gone. The pivot to “AI upskilling” feels shallow and investor-led. HR will insist “we aren’t upskilling for the elite,” but when the only people celebrating the shift are the CEO and investors chasing higher returns, the intent is clear. On the ground, no one believes this is a “great idea.”
Leadership vacuum: Reorgs and churn are constant. Middle managers are ineffective because they’re being pulled in all directions without stability. Chaos here isn’t agility; it’s just chaos. When leaders say “change is a constant at a fast-growing scale-up,” it’s not reassurance — it’s how dysfunction is normalised. The CEO himself seems more focused on media interviews and cultivating the Multiverse brand than building a coherent product. Ask yourself: what even is the product right now? Apprenticeships? AI training? A SaaS platform? No one internally can answer that with confidence — and that should tell you everything.
CEO as CTO: When the previous CTO resigned, the CEO simply absorbed the title despite no credible tech background. It gets spun as “Euan leading from the front in our AI-first era,” but engineers know better. If you’re a software engineer, run for the hills: your craft won’t be respected here.
Toxic positivity: Comms are relentlessly upbeat, packed with rocket emojis and slogans. Questions in all-hands are filtered, feedback forums are clunky, and asking tough questions is risky. Replies will always sound the same: “we’re listening, we’re evolving, we value your input.” But nothing changes.
