Pros
The first thing that I tell friends interested in Palantir is that I can't imagine working anywhere else and that while I have done some really interesting work in previous jobs, there is no way I would ever consider going back to them over staying at Palantir.
The work is demanding and impactful, the organization is empowering, the people are impressive and great to work with, and up and down the company is always seeking ways to improve. I always did interesting work prior to joining Palantir, but I was also always looking for side projects, new opportunities, the next thing. Since joining Palantir I have done more than just interesting work, I've become part of an organization that I believe in. I've not just been given countless opportunities to own things at company, it has been demanded that I own things. Whereas previous jobs I might have been told, "that's not your concern" at Palantir I am told, "If it seems broken, help fix it. Make it better." and have then been given the support to make that happen.
In addition to the work itself, the company culture is fantastic. I enjoy the company of just about everyone I work with and have had the opportunity to turn a fair share of my colleagues into great friends. And while the growth of the company can make it feel a bit less 'homey', I continue to meet great people constantly. Other than the people, the offices are awesome. The support from our operations people is amazing, from the quality of food I get to eat to the events that are planned on my behalf. It is easy to take those things for granted but they are pretty great.
Cons
Since Palantir is based out of Palo Alto, a lot of internal meetings tend to later in the day East Coast time. This can complicate things for those of us with families to go home to. That said, I usually just take these meetings from home.
We are much better at learning by doing than by formalized (classroom style) education, which can sometimes mean that it is hard to learn something completely new if it is unrelated to the specific work you are doing. The company is working to expand other types of learning, and I've found that I've learned so much by doing that I hardly have time to think about additional educational opportunities, but there is room for improvement here.
