Good company but atrocious leadership - Anonymous employee Kikoff Employee Review

2.0
Apr 3, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Good coworkers - Ok pay and great benefits such as $400 uber budget, free lunch and dinner, hackathons, fun events - Good talent

Cons

Workplace Demographics and Culture - The team is predominantly composed of Asian male employees (approximately 90%). People work on weekends to become favorites of the company. Company takes advantage of workaholic people and in exchange give them the "clout" or inner circle camaraderie that they crave. - The work environment over emphasizes accountability for mistakes, which can create pressure. - Issues are often highlighted in group settings where the issue is exaggerated rather than addressed promptly leading to non productive meetings after Management and Leadership Observations - Employment decisions appear to be influenced by personal relationships with leadership. - Certain employees receive accommodations and exceptions to standard policies. - Leadership can be challenging to work with as their communication style and expectations fluctuate. - Career advancement seems to correlate with social proximity to decision-makers. - A lot of people leaving and cannot hold talent. Communication Patterns - When technical issues arise, the CTO get's really intense with managers. This communication style tends to affect interactions throughout the reporting structure. - The CTO appears to experience stress regularly and has demonstrated resistance when receiving constructive input. This also seems to trickle down through the org

Explore other reviews about Kikoff

5.0
Jun 27, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Fair compensation, reasonable work-life-balance, and good in-office perks -People at Kikoff are genuinely some of the nicest and smartest people I've ever worked with -Good growth opportunity for people looking to push the boundaries of their responsibility

Cons

-Company feels like a startup quickly growing up, with a lot of processes and guardrails being established. This can at times feel like culture is being changed/eroded. -Upper management is sometimes a little opaque about goals and directions, more transparency will allow everyone at the company to better align on prioritization.

1
2.0
Jul 23, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Smart ICs Fast-moving environment Good benefits

Cons

There was significant leadership politics, and several strong managers were managed out as a result.

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