Pros
Mission-Driven Organization – Focused on serving financial institutions that help farmers and rural communities thrive.
Collaborative and High-Caliber Team – Talented, mission-aligned professionals who care deeply about their work and each other.
Empowered Culture of Trust – Core philosophy of (in)Trust fosters transparency, accountability, and mutual respect.
Bold Digital Transformation – Opportunity to modernize a legacy industry through cloud, microservices, and fintech innovation.
Resilient Leadership Challenges – A rare place where you can test and grow your leadership every day.
Ownership Model with Real Impact – Working for a customer-owned organization where outcomes truly matter.
Strong Operational Discipline – Clear KPIs, focus on SLA performance, and continual improvement culture.
Entrepreneurial Spirit with Purpose – Operates like a startup within a regulated system — unique and fulfilling.
Work-Life Balance Supported – Respect for family and personal commitments, especially at the leadership level.
Visible Executive Support – Open-door policy, weekly CEO communications, and consistent engagement with all staff.
Meaningful Legacy Building – Helping shape the future of a critical system while building something that will outlast your tenure.
Access to Leadership Development – Strategic investments in leadership cohorts, coaching, and retreats.
Opportunity to Influence Industry – Partnerships with Farm Credit, Fiserv, and exploration of CUSO opportunities provide external reach.
Stability with Innovation – A rare mix of long-term industry stability with constant opportunities to innovate and improve.
Cons
Challenging Governance Structure – As a customer-owned cooperative, decision-making can be slower and more political than in a typical corporate environment.
Board-Customer Dual Role Can Create Tension – Balancing operational leadership with a board that also consumes services can lead to conflicts of interest.
Pace of Change is Demanding – Transforming legacy systems while maintaining daily operations requires intense focus and stamina.
Limited Growth Capital – Operating under a break-even model limits traditional reinvestment strategies, making innovation harder.
Inconsistent Customer Engagement – Varying levels of customer buy-in can slow adoption of new technologies and dilute transformation momentum.
Legacy Technology Debt – Starting with antiquated systems has made modernization more complex and resource-heavy.
High Accountability, High Pressure – The stakes are high, especially with transformation projects like PLANT — not for those seeking a passive work environment.
Cultural Resistance from Some Corners – Not everyone embraces change at the same speed, requiring strong change management.
Underappreciated Wins – Due to the long arc of transformation, short-term successes are sometimes overlooked or dismissed.
Heavy Emotional Load on Leadership – Navigating crises, customer dissatisfaction, and internal fatigue can be personally taxing.
Talent Turnover in Critical Roles – Despite engagement efforts, turnover in some key areas continues to be a risk and a distraction.
Need for Continued Maturity in Product Ownership – Transitioning to a product-based organization is still in progress; alignment isn’t yet consistent across all teams.