Pros
AppFolio teams are so empowered (in fact, not just in description), that as a new software engineer fresh out of college I was still listened to by my entire product team and our director. It really gives you a chance to step up instead of step back, which will help you grow your skills. In engineering, many improvements in technology and practices come organically from engineers themselves, which means we are on the forefront of learning more helpful technologies without switching javascript frameworks every two years just for the sake of it; and it also means we you have the opportunity to bring new proposals to the table and make a case for them to your fellow engineers! My director has been so proactive in helping me grow. He's pointed out and leveraged my strengths. He lets me and the team come up with our own solutions to problems. Everyone within a team is on the same footing; there are no team leaders or managers, just a bunch of employees in different roles using their different strengths to come to a consensus on the best way to move forward. Since all my teammates have been equally empowered and trusted, everyone on my team really wants us to succeed, and I can trust them to carry their weight and more, as well as support me. Great food, coffee, events, etc. Friendly teammates and officemates! Dog-friendly office! Very competitive compensation. Incredibly effective transition to remote work during COVID-19. Leadership very responsibly made the announcement in early June that we would be WFH until at least January 2021. This was very thoughtful for both employees, who are now able to make housing changes instead of being uncertain how quickly they will be asked to come back to the office, and the general safety of the world in light of the pandemic; if we as a company can easily work from home, we should not be putting the rest of the world at unnecessary risk. I think this is reflective of how thoughtful leadership is, especially with respect to their own employees. Everyone is treated with respect, regardless of background. There have been substantial and effective efforts to increase recruiting in engineering for women, specifically, though women and especially other minorities are still underrepresented.
Cons
At least in engineering, all the directors and VPs are men; white men specifically. The same is not true for other departments, and there are ramping efforts in diversity and inclusion to find ways to source more diverse engineering talent. This is much needed. The company is growing rapidly right now, and especially during this period of remote work due to the pandemic, there is less connectedness to each to each other and AppFolio's culture than what AppFolio has been so loved for through its entire history.
