Pros
Zozi was my second startup experience with a super strong team and enough passion to push through some of the hardest times many young companies experience. They adapt, innovate, and most of all, have a lot of fun while doing so. Here are the Pros:
1. The people - it is not easy to find a team as passionate and fun to work with both inside and outside the workplace. They do their best to be fair in tough situations while being very transparent to make sure all employees understand the current state of the company. There is a huge support network for the sales team and throughout.
2. The office - rooftop patios, living room, fully stocked kitchen, great work spaces, open office environment, and apple technology throughout - what more could you ask for? Oh and they have corn hole. Like I said, they have a very fun environment.
3. The benefits - great health, dental, and vision; pop-up lunches; bi weekly happy hours; culture events like game night, pumpkin carving, and team bbqs; monthly cell phone stipend; monthly stipends for professional development and gym membership; on site massages twice a month; and a quarterly credit bonus of $400 to spend on Zozi gear, activities, and getaways. 'Nuff said.
4. Healthy financial backing - I will keep this short, but there are some great minds in the VC space that foresee great success for Zozi and have personally invested in the company's future.
5. The brand lifestyle - while some past employes may not agree, you have an opportunity to truly "live the brand" if you excel in your position and plan accordingly. Like every startup, you will need to grind and hard work is expected. But, if you put your head down, get ahead or reach your weekly, monthly, yearly goals, you can enjoy the unlimited vacation time to get out, travel, adventure, or do whatever you like to do. Just remember that while it is an adventure company, the job is based in an office.
Cons
Here are the major cons I personally experienced:
1. Management is young, but very knowledgable and pros when it comes to sales. Policies can change fairly quickly without much notice so you'll need to be able to adapt and you'll need to be upfront with feedback and questions.
2. There is not an even spread of resources to each product. This ultimately led to a few product lines falling behind. This is natural when there are very limited resources and a company has essentially 4 product lines, but a clear strategy should be in place without continuous delays when product improvements are promised or planned.
3. The overall marketing strategy was never very clear. As a sales executive, it is essential to understand what the marketing team is doing to maximize revenue. On the customer side, I believe they can do more to better understand their target audience. New strategies are in place, but understanding your customer's needs should never be undervalued.
