Crunchbase Reviews

It took me so long to write this review. I didn’t want to give this experience the satisfaction of memorializing it in writing but I owe future employees this transparency. I wish it would have been afforded to me and those before me. When I accepted this role I had two other offers in play. My current employer was even begging me to stay but I had already bought into the CB dream: a remote first tech company with a focus on inclusion, mental health Monday’s, a young fresh team and great pay? What could go wrong. Everything. Everything could go wrong when it was a fraud to begin with. My manager let me know she would be resigning on my 8th day of work (🚩). I had 12 more days to learn from her and master the role. Following her departure I reported to a C-Suite executive (🚩🚩). Just as you would expect: he had no time, he was not organically invested in my success, and he was not operationally informed of my work. He relied solely on the feedback of others to assess my performance. I was flying solo, blind in one eye, and with a broken GPS. Fast forward to 77 days on the job. I had double the workload on days 77 - 85 because another person in the same role came down with a bad case of COVID. I covered for this person for 7 workdays; 11 hours of non stop work on some of them. I even came down with COVID myself on the 81st day. I was also pregnant with my miracle baby. I kept working though. There was no one else to fill in and I did not want to let my team or my sick coworker down. I took off on Day 89 to rest and see the doctor. I was fired on Day 90. Not kidding. I knew that a Senior member of the team I supported was racially biased and it was very likely this contributed to my departure. This person had been accused of gate keeping roles by denying referrals from Black employees, and directly (to me) expressed regret with previous Black hires - 🚩🚩🚩!!!! The c-suite executive I was reporting to confirmed this person had been previously accused of racial bias during my exit meeting but also explained the alleged bias had no bearing on the decision to fire me. “Yes, an individual who wields severe influence over how your performance is interpreted might be racist but you being terminated, based on their possibly biased reporting, has nothing to do with you being Black.” 🚩🚩🚩🚩 Makes perfect sense😂😂 To this day I am still shocked that he openly admitted these accusations existed prior to my employment and didn’t think it peculiar that this person’s behavior was now affecting another Black person at CB. Just wow. CB plucks the best talent from stable high performing companies by selling an unrealistic version of tech utopia. This creates a juvenile culture and unbalanced teams composed of highly competent hard workers and slackers who get by on virtual-office politics. Below is a candid and culturally centered framework to consider before joining their team. If you are White you should absolutely take this job. The pay is good and it will look good on your resume. You can be average or below average and you will still have opportunities for growth. Show lots of graciousness for nothing at all and have tons of coffee chats. Even if your work is not that great, or you are inexperienced, you have a pretty good chance of being given extra help instead of being fired. A member of my team started the same day I did. Received constant complaints from stakeholders regarding her performance, did not assist teammates when asked, talked down to her coordinators, no-showed meetings with external clients and still kept her job past the 90 day mark. You’ll be fine. ⚠️ If you are a no nonsense high performer be prepared to carry more than your weight and still be overlooked for people who don’t do nearly as much as you. Also: pep up. Always have a coffee cup on screen even if you aren’t drinking it, take opportunities to socialize even if you aren’t social, and don’t forget to overuse emojis. Bonus points for wearing chunky sweaters and eating lunch on camera. You’ll look comfortable but busy. This is the culture. It’s forced and transparent but it’s the culture no less. Roll with it. If you are a non-Black person of any color you should still take the job. Just remember you need to appear White adjacent at all times. For example you can be Vietnamese but not too Vietnamese. So look Asian but behave decidedly Asian-American (the kind where your grandparents may have an accent but your Mom and Dad do not. That kind.) If you are competent in your actual job function you’ll be fine. If you are on a tech team you have some leeway here but not too much. Also, overuse emojis (I was told it was expected in all replies via Slack and email.) Use them often. Like, to the point where you are mildly uncomfortable. If you are non-binary or LGTB anything AND non-Black: take the job. You’re good to go unless you are completely obtuse and grossly incapable of the job. Now, you’ve made it down this far, so I know why you are here. If you are Black-American or African (yes, it’s all the same at CB) this is a million dollars worth of game for free. CB looks for the very best Black talent to meet “diversity metrics” and then constricts their ability to perform with alienation, unfair standards of performance, and undermining. This isn’t overt; it is systematic. In theory, and practice, you are only there to provide melanin at the company picnic and add depth to the gallery view on Zoom. Dassit. Either way you have two options. Option A: don’t take this gig. If you have been pilfered from the ranks of a stable company where you are mostly appreciated, and even halfway represented among your peers, DO NOT LEAVE FOR CRUNCHBASE. Every bit of what they are selling you is fabrication from end to end. They do not care about our culture(s), they are not working diligently to increase diversity, you will feel alone and out of place, and you will be alienated for standard Black behavior (the way you speak or RBF). If you have another offer accept it. Even if it pays slightly less; accept it. If you’ve already declined another offer ask to be reconsidered immediately. The extra 10k to 20k is not worth the distance this company will stretch your patience and how occupationally ragged you will be when it is over. Option B: If you don’t have any other offers or compensation is your determining factor. Then, of course, take the job. Rules of engagement: -Everyday needs to be a good day for you. Smile even when you don’t have a reason, start early often, volunteer for projects, and don’t participate too visibly in the Black ERG. Hit up a meeting or two if you want but do not take a position in leadership. It won’t be able to protect you any way and will most likely draw unwanted attention. -Mentally prepare to out perform your non-Black counterparts and still be judged more often and more harshly. -Use the the emojis. Yes, your emails will give early 2000’s Lisa Frank stamp set. Childish af but it’s part of the pretend culture. Just do it. -Also, on teams where Black people typically over represent they are barely represented at all; much like the team I worked with. I was the only Black person and the first to be hired to the team ever or in a VERY long time. Prepare to be noticeably alone. -Do not trust anyone who has been with CB before you or who isn’t Black (the head nod kind of Black) with your complaints and gripes. No matter how relatable they seem. Your words will only be repeated and used against you. Talk to people but keep it surface until you learn the landscape. -Keep a working exit strategy and revisit it often. Regularly apply for open roles and take an interview if called upon. Plan to leave CB at around 18 months. From what I gathered during my conversations the Black existence becomes unbearable around 12 months; 18 should be your tipping point. 24 months if you are particularly resilient. It took me some time to collect my life after this experience. I had just bought a home. I even suffered a miscarriage from the stress of being unexpectedly fired. I’ve never been terminated in my life so it was quite the shock. Especially considering how hard I worked without a manager or any team inclusion. I had days where I fought back tears. Even in a remote environment the lack of acceptance or recognition was pervasive. This really isn’t a place for Black people but we gotta do what we gotta do and I get that. If you must work at Crunchbase stay strong and stay ready. Chin up baby💕