TOXIC Culture, Micromanaging and ego-driven leadership
Gut am Arbeitgeber finde ich
The general work colleagues.
Schlecht am Arbeitgeber finde ich
Things have been shared
Arbeitsatmosphäre
In my experience, the work environment was extremely stressful and psychologically draining – without any justifiable reason. There was a constant sense of fear and uncertainty that made it difficult to focus or feel at ease. Appreciation for individual contributions was rare, and feedback was often met with defensiveness or outright hostility.
To be clear: this criticism is directed squarely at the C-level leadership. The rest of the team – my peers and other colleagues – were just as affected, frustrated, and in some cases clearly fearful of upper management. The toxicity came from the top.
Work-Life-Balance
Work-life balance was a major issue during my time at the company. Although remote work was explicitly promised to me during the hiring process, that promise was repeatedly postponed and ultimately ignored. I was expected to be in the office every day, without a clear explanation.
When I raised the issue, I was made to feel unreasonable or even guilty for insisting on something that had been agreed upon. A short home office trial was poorly supported and used against me to justify denying future flexibility.
There was no consistent remote work policy—each employee had different rules. lack of structure, broken promises, and emotional pressure made any real work-life balance impossible in my case.
Umwelt-/Sozialbewusstsein
They donated 200€ to a charity of your choice.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
Despite the overall toxic atmosphere created by top leadership, I experienced the team itself as supportive and collegial. Many coworkers were clearly stressed, frustrated, or even intimidated by the behavior of the C-level, yet they still tried to maintain a professional and constructive working environment.
I found most colleagues to be approachable, respectful, and willing to help – especially when it came to explaining unclear tasks or catching up on missing context, which unfortunately happened frequently due to the lack of leadership communication.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
Literally giving one star is generous.
The behavior of the CEO, who also acts as the founder, was one of the most difficult aspects of my experience at the company. His leadership style was marked by intense micromanagement, lack of communication, and emotional unpredictability. He expected to be involved in every decision—no matter how small—yet rarely had the time or clarity to provide proper guidance.
Tasks were often assigned with little or no briefing, and asking for clarification was seen as incompetence or weakness. At the same time, he became frustrated when results didn’t align with expectations that had never been communicated.
Feedback or professional input was typically dismissed, and questions were unwelcome. Instead of constructive leadership, I experienced emotional blame-shifting, public discrediting of my needs (especially around remote work), and a general lack of respect for my role and expertise.
From my perspective, this was not just poor leadership—it created a toxic and unsafe environment that deeply affected morale, clarity, and trust. Other employees seemed equally frustrated but remained silent, likely out of fear of consequences.
Arbeitsbedingungen
Normal office, older hardware. You could get an electric sit-stand desk.
Kommunikation
Communication within the company was one of the most dysfunctional aspects of my experience. While communication among colleagues generally worked well – via GitLab or direct conversations – and most team members were cooperative and helpful, everything that involved the CEO was chaotic, unclear, and stressful.
I was frequently expected to deliver complex work without ever receiving a proper briefing. Instructions, if given at all, were vague or inconsistent. At the same time, I was expected to just do what was needed, despite never being included in relevant discussions (e.g., with developers or stakeholders). When asking for clarification on tasks that only the CEO could answer, I was met with visible frustration or even anger.
Task management was almost nonexistent. The CEO rarely used any tools to assign or track work. Instead, I had to extract vague instructions from Slack messages, manage my own tasks, and send him constant updates – sometimes every five minutes – just to stay on his radar. Even then, responses were often incomplete, delayed, or missing altogether.
Overall, communication from the top was chaotic, reactive, and deeply unstructured.
Gehalt/Benefits
The salary level for my position was, in my opinion, average to below industry standards—especially considering the level of responsibility and required expertise. The compensation was not discussed openly or professionally during the process.
There were no meaningful benefits offered beyond the base salary. Things like structured bonuses, development budgets, or other employee perks were either non-existent or not communicated. They had company-shared flats, but nothing I could have profited from.
Gleichberechtigung
In my experience, equal treatment was highly inconsistent—especially from the C-Level. It was obvious who he favored at any given time.
Recognition did happen, but not in a balanced or motivating way. Praise was typically reserved for big achievements—or when employees visibly overworked themselves, such as staying late, working weekends, or sacrificing holidays. This reinforced a culture where being overextended was quietly expected and selectively rewarded.
Overall, it felt like personal dynamics and perceived loyalty mattered more than fairness, consistency, or contribution.
Interessante Aufgaben
The nature of the product offered interesting challenges in theory, and the potential for creative, meaningful work was definitely there. However, in practice, much of that potential was lost due to how tasks were assigned and controlled.
The software was unnecessarily complex and difficult to use—largely due to design decisions directed by leadership without professional background in the field. I was expected to execute tasks without proper briefings, without understanding the broader context, and without questioning the direction.
Being excluded from key discussions and having no room for professional input made it hard to feel ownership or motivation, even when the task itself could have been engaging.