In this organization, QA and non-technical roles are often pushed into developer positions, which reduces opportunities for experienced engineers. TPM/QA leadership tends to hold disproportionate influence, indirectly shaping opportunities and project choices in the name of “references.”
Leadership frequently promotes favorites and yes-men, blurring role ownership and normalizing overwork. PeopleOps and other non-technical functions receive disproportionate budgets and promotions, while core technical contributors are asked to continue without fair recognition. Select teams enjoy lavish outings and perks, and even visa sponsorships appear inconsistent, creating a sense of partiality.
Ownership of work is often unclear, and perks or rewards are distributed selectively, raising concerns about long-term organizational health. Cliques and manufactured narratives contribute to a toxic environment, fostering groupism and even bullying.
Leadership also appears focused on building networks that advance personal agendas rather than supporting organizational success, reinforcing favoritism and undermining true contributors.
The cultural shift in the last two years has been especially damaging. Since a change in top executive leadership, the focus has narrowed to OKRs at the expense of people and product quality.
Experienced contributors are sidelined, promotions are withheld, yes-men are promoted and new leaders are brought in while headcount is reduced. Many senior contributors have left voluntarily, some involuntarily, while multiple AI tools are introduced without a coherent growth strategy, creating the impression of superficial change.
The current culture reflects a system where yes-men thrive while genuine contributors are ignored. Most managers lack people skills and rely on personal rapport and politics rather than technical ability or impact. Recognition and promotions come to those who play the game, or who tolerates systemic issues and delays favoring personal agenda, while managers often fail to distinguish talkers from doers—weakening trust in the overall system.
