Pros
Strong early-career mentorship from a very intelligent and capable manager
Exposure to a wide range of technologies including Linux, Docker, AWS, networking, cloud networking, cloud security, APIs, and developer tools.
Learned a lot quickly through hands-on work and close guidance at the beginning.
Manager was technically sharp and genuinely invested in helping me grow early on.
Fast-paced environment that accelerates learning for motivated engineers.
Cons
Managerial bandwidth became increasingly limited as leadership responsibilities grew.
Mentorship and guidance dropped off significantly over time due to workload and stress.
Lack of consistent feedback or clear performance communication as expectations changed.
When performance issues arose, they were not clearly communicated or addressed early.
Termination felt abrupt and attributed to business reasons rather than discussed performance gaps.