Stay away - toxic - Associate Producer Hypebeast Employee Review

1.0
Oct 31, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Cool projects when they get them. The creative team and social team are extremely talented.

Cons

The culture at this company is toxic. From day one, management makes you feel small, replaceable, and “lucky” just to be there. The attitude is that the company owes you nothing. Longtime employees often treat the brand as their entire identity, which can be misleading for newcomers. It’s not a reflection of a healthy workplace. Financially, the company is struggling. It’s publicly traded in China, and a quick Google search reveals declining performance. Revenue is reportedly down about 20%. This instability trickles down into every department. As for the work itself, the company inflates performance metrics and misleads clients. The reality is that traditional media models no longer work the way they did a decade ago, yet leadership continues to ignore this. Speaking of leadership, most of the genuinely talented people across editorial, creative, production, and sales have left. In their place are people who are condescending, dismissive, and often unqualified. The few decent employees remaining are disengaged and burnt out. Ultimately, the environment is toxic. The “cool factor” the company once had is long gone, and no amount of branding can disguise the dysfunction. If you value your mental health and work-life balance, steer clear, unless you want constant stress and burnout.

Explore other reviews about Hypebeast

5.0
Oct 15, 2025
Anonymous intern
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Impactful projects and good balance

Cons

Small team and more room to learn

1.0
Apr 24, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You can find decent amount of freedom within the company. Not because of company culture but due to the chaotic unstructured mess of the organization. There are some great junior to mid level people here.

Cons

So many structural problems at this company. Big picture, it’s an unethical slop factory. The company is churning out AI regurgitated news on (primarily black and brown) culture. And then using its status (or whatever is left of it) to sell that back to brands at a big premium. Zooming in. The entire business is built on squeezing every dollar possible to the extent of pumping out brand partnerships when they have zero to negative alignment. Every executive decision is meant to maximize dollars, with zero foresight in investing in the brand’s own voice or IP. This company has essentially already cannibalized itself. The company’s ability to produce original content has been destroyed after multiple rounds of layoffs that has removed some of the best and most creative voices at the company. Structurally, the most creative voices are purposely stifled by senior leadership to maintain status quo. Management is VERY toxic. Because the primary operations are run out of NY but most of the executives are based in Hong Kong, it’s created this opaque bureaucracy where issues are voiced in NY and somewhere along the chain, they disappear forever. Impossible financial goals are arbitrarily set. Layoffs and the financial freeze are justified by the inevitably missing of financial targets. For the last 4 years the company has been placed on permanent no promotions/raises. Executives are unreachable, goals are unattainable and the leadership chain makes accountability impossible. The executives are the only ones that succeed here, in a culture that’s manipulative and every man for himself. Junior to mid level employees here are constantly screwed over. I’ve seen bright young talent demotivated and demoralized in this toxic corporate culture. There is no plan. Most if not all the executive level leadership are lifetime Hypebeast insiders who’ve climbed up based on personal relationships with the CEO. They have no proven track records or industry success. The leadership knows little to nothing about editorial, publishing or advertising. I have no solutions except I know this place will only get worse.

4
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