Chaos and dishonesty disguised by ping pong and beer - Anonymous Cardlytics Employee Review

2.0
20 Sept 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing people (before the two recent rounds of layoffs), incredible office space (expensive and half-empty), group activities (which you'll be bullied into), a lot of opportunities to learn (because no one will train you), exciting and challenging work (before a re-org consolidated executive leadership, leaving incompetent managers unsupervised and too powerful, and competent managers without executive champions).

Cons

In the first years of its founding, Cardlytics was transparent and collaborative top-to-bottom. However, the climate of the company became suddenly and uncomfortably political in the past year. Most of the original employees who truly believed in Cardlytics' mission have been let go or have quit (including 3 CTOs in 5 months), and most of those left are there for a payout. One manager, for example, was allowed to routinely subvert legal and operations processes while providing personal financial reasons for doing so (e.g., bonuses, commission). This attitude is indicative of the recent shift in company values that has taken place: Revenue over Quality. Asking too many questions means that you are difficult to work with, and saying no means that you're not a team player (even if 'no' is the right answer). Expertise is no longer valued, as an employee's value is based solely on how quickly they can perform a task. You can be awesome at what you do (and the only one who does it), but if you aren't a "yes" person, be expected to be treated like an enemy. This is what the current job postings really mean when they list a "collaborative attitude" as a must. The ultimate con of Cardlytics, however, is that leadership will feed you ice cream sundaes, take you to free movies, buy expensive game consoles, and throw elaborate, alcohol-fueled parties, while reciting lines about how every employee is important to the success of the company and how Cardlytics is a family. But when the executive team failed to create a cohesive and obtainable directive for the company in 2015, they irresponsibly set the stage for the catastrophic layoffs and associated resignations of long-time employees in 2016. The CEO even admitted to the remaining employees that "some mistakes were made" in the hasty layoffs, and the company is already re-hiring for the exact same jobs from which people were let go. Such a large and impactful company-wide decision should never have to be made so quickly that experts and company loyalists are "mistakenly" let go. Perks do not make up for employee morale or distrust of leadership.

Explore other reviews about Cardlytics

5.0
4 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I’ve spent a majority of my career with Cardlytics and am impressed with its current state. The company is right-sized, efficient and poised for growth. The leadership team is amazing - they’ve turned the business around while keeping compensation and benefits in-tact. They truly care about their employees and it shows.

Cons

The business has had its challenges over the years. I left two times and have come back again. The current leadership team is one of the best teams I’ve had the privilege of working for.

5.0
1 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Cardlytics is one of those rare places where you can see the full picture: strong leadership, a product that genuinely works, and a team that believes in what they're building. The data asset we sit on is valuable to everyone in market (advertisers and publishers), and the people who've been brought in to lead this next chapter understand both the opportunity and what it takes to execute. Is it without challenges? No. But the vision is clear, the right people are in the room, and the momentum is real. If you're someone who wants to be part of a comeback story and do meaningful work along the way, this is the place to be.

Cons

As a public company in turnaround, the stock doesn't always reflect the work happening on the ground, and that gap can be frustrating if you're watching the ticker. This chapter isn't for everyone, but for the right person who thrives in a build environment and wants to be part of something meaningful, the upside both personally and professionally, is very real.

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