Thought it would be a dream job, but the exec team quickly changed that - Anonymous employee Grindr Employee Review

2.0
25 Oct 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Getting to work with incredible people - Decent comp - Fun app to work on

Cons

- Lacking autonomy and trust - CEO wants a say in every minor detail and no one is willing to push back - Union busting tactics were very disappointing - Heavy focus on revenue and profitability is demoralizing - No transparency - No job security with regular rounds of layoffs/firing

Explore other reviews about Grindr

5.0
9 Mar 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Team culture, talent density, tech stack, brand recognition, benefits, offices

Cons

Tuesdays and Thursdays in the office [con if you prefer WFH, I find it helpful]

1.0
24 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It pays very well and the benefits are best-in-class.

Cons

Leadership wants to sand every edge off a queer app until it's bland enough to sell to advertisers and reassure Wall Street. Grindr publicly wants the app to become a "Global Gayborhood in Your Pocket," ... but the result is an enshittified, barely functioning app that's anything but the sharp, sex-positive, specifically queer product it was at its inception. The straightwashing is the part I can't get past. Several teams have become a creeping majority of straight people making creative and strategic decisions about an app they have never once opened. I don't know how you greenlight campaigns for a community you've never been part of, but they manage it, and it shows in every flat, focus-grouped piece of work that goes out the door. The audience can tell. The audience can always tell. It's insanity. The people steering the brand simply don't care about the people using it, and you cannot fake the thing that's missing. What's worse is that even leadership who *are* part of the community lack the taste to have any modicum of grip on the LGBTQ+ zeitgeist. They think they do, and our audience laughs at us. As they should. The app and ancillary content coming out of it are laughable. Any person with moderately competent critical thinking skills could be able to understand why this is an issue. You're having people who have never used the app, who aren't gay themselves, acting as arbiters for what an audience wants and gets to receive. No wonder our why our audience hates us—the decision makers are either straight, out of touch, or both.

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