Pros
+100% remote work allows for a lot of flexibility (though you’ll likely still have to work approximately US business hours). + A lot of young energetic people that are generally friendly and helpful. + Ambitious company goals
Cons
- Focus on style over substance and marketing of Toptal vs reality/improvement of Toptal. By that I mean, the leadership cares more about how the company is perceived than how it’s actually doing. For example, any negative feedback or PR results in discussion of how to discredit that feedback instead of understanding whether the feedback is true and how to get better. - Inexperienced managers and leaders that don’t know how to properly grow a company or develop people. - Overinflated sense of importance. Toptal is an interesting company with a above average business model. However, it tries to market itself as a revolutionary company that’s changing the world. - Average talent. Take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of people at Toptal and compare it to those at elite companies. - Unnecessarily long interview process with an unbelievably quick firing trigger. There are several rounds of interviews, many of which don’t add any value. But once at the company, people get let go without any warning for items that are fairly easily correctable. - Poor benefits. Toptal is 100% remote and makes employees buy their own tech, pay for their own internet and phone/data plan. Insurance is OK but has a high deductible. 401k plan is expensive and there’s no match. No annual bonuses.
