A fun work environment and cool coworkers almost made me forget how underpaid I was...almost.
Pros
On the surface, Sonic.net appears to be a great place to work. They have a fun, casual work environment and they do a good job of hiring smart, young, energetic employees. For young workers looking to gain some tangible work experience, this can be an opportunity to get hands-on with some interesting technology. They have a local niche in the marketplace, and a small, but loyal customer base. Additionally, they put on good holiday parties and company events that build camaraderie among workers.
Cons
As others have mentioned, the pay at Sonic.net is abysmal. I would estimate it to be probably about half of what one could earn working for a larger company doing essentially the same work. The benefits are either prohibitively expensive or simply not offered. Additionally, Sonic is a small company with stagnant growth. They have been roughly the same size for the past decade and, consequently, there are few opportunities for advancement and promotion. They face constant, increasing competition from larger companies like AT&T and Comcast, who can offer most of the same services at approximately the same rate. It's tough to see this company becoming anything more than what they already are. It's much easier, in fact, to see them becoming smaller or eventually purchased by a larger company. From a leadership standpoint, the CEO is very intelligent and deserves recognition from building a viable company from the ground up. However, he has practically zero work experience outside of Sonic and appears to have no formal management or leadership training. This becomes clear in how responsibilities are delegated and how employee feedback is either dismissed or simply ignored completely. One gets the feeling working there that the CEO rules the company with an iron fist because of a belief that his way is unquestionably the right way and that the young, underpaid workers serve him and his interests instead of the other way around.
