Pros
Kayako take culture very seriously, with a steady rhythm of ideas and events that ensure everyone at the company gets to know each other personally as equals. With headquarters in Gurgaon, India and London, UK, and remote employees across the globe, this is especially important. Kayakers from the UK and India regularly visit each other’s offices and the culture exchange is edifying. The company are also great on transparency. No number or process is kept deliberately secret. If something isn’t stated explicitly in writing or in a company-wide presentation, you only need ask. The flexible nature of the organisation means there is enormous opportunity to participate in any initiative that interests you. The nature of the product and industry also ensures there are loads of meaty technical challenges up and down the stack. In terms of compensation Kayako are very competitive. Their philosophy is basically “between you (the candidate) and us, we’ll try to determine an objective market rate for your role and skills, and that’s where we’ll start”. Finally, everyone who works at Kayako is dedicated and genuinely lovely.
Cons
Kayako’s structural flexibility means that sometimes, if you want an established process or chain of command, it’s up to you to help devise and instate it. There is always a *lot* going on, so making sure you’re communicating effectively with everyone affected by your work is challenging. Kayako’s up against some serious competition (Intercom, Zendesk, etc.) which can be motivating and dispiriting in equal measure. New work can tend to appear in the queue without much warning. This has improved lately with the adoption of 6-week cycles and autonomous feature teams.