Pros
- Smart, thoughtful people
- For a time, pretty good benefits and flexibility
- The science and technology were pretty cutting edge for a while
Cons
BenchSci should be a Harvard Business Review case study of what happens when you take a good idea and let a megalomaniacal CEO run with it. He surrounded himself with yes-people, most of whom have zero credibility in the space and couldn't explain how any of it works without excessive coaching and hand holding by those who do. He is a B-school "businessman" who has no background in technology or science. He thinks ChatGPT summarizations of Twitter are the same as a complex, deeply scientific AI/ML offering - because ultimately, everything needs to be simplified to a level he can wrap his brain around. The people who do know anything are marginalized and pushed to the side (e.g., the CSO and CDO), but I am guessing they're banking on the stock being worth something to them (spoiler alert: probably not, given the raging incompetence that ran roughshod all over the place!). Instead, you have commercial leaders with - you guessed it - zero science or tech background.
The company is based on vaporware slides that were cooked up by a commercial lead who ruled with a toxic fist and ensured that the entire leadership team reflected his gross approach to the workplace. There is nepotism abounding - so many unqualified people in positions they have zero right holding, but they jump at the CEO's command, so they're part of the BenchSci family. Talented engineers and scientists tried to make the vision a reality, but they were thwarted by a commercial team that made increasingly impossible promises to customers, all in a desperate play to bring in revenue.
At the end of the day, it's a low integrity, hyper-political place. It always has been. And now it's a sinking ship. I doubt it matters that anyone leaves any more reviews, because they are laying people off in waves (note: they're doing this in the most cruel way possible to try and get people to quit - no concerns about the stress and anxiety they're causing good, hard-working people). It's a totally predictable end to this group, and it's a shame that a good idea was wasted and good people had to suffer.