Slow Fail - Anonymous employee Electra Employee Review

1.0
10 Dec 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Company has good compensation and benefits

Cons

The CEO, despite being a non technical role, micro-manages everyone down to staff level engineers when he should be out fundraising. He has no experience commercializing anything, but demands that his research projects be completed in a very specific way. He keeps his staff young and inexperienced, presumably because they are easier to control. He has recently laid off the most experienced engineers on staff for attacking the difficult, fundamental problems instead of avoiding them as his 'fast fail' dogma would demand. This company would be fine for a young engineer who doesn't mind learning first to think about what the CEO wants rather than about the correct thing to do. Management is obsessed with a fast fail mentality which has swung the direction of the company and technology in wildly different directions with no continuity outside of whatever is in the CEO's head.

Explore other reviews about Electra

5.0
25 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Strong, mission-driven culture with a clear direction and innovative mindset Opportunities to take ownership and make a meaningful impact Collaborative team environment with supportive colleagues Exposure to new technologies and processes that help build skills Leadership is approachable and open to feedback (in many cases) Fast-paced environment can accelerate learning and career growth

Cons

Growing company, processes and structure can feel undefined at times Workload can be demanding, especially during busy periods Some inconsistency in communication across teams or leadership levels Career progression paths may not always be clearly defined Occasional shifts in priorities can create uncertainty Benefits/compensation may not always keep pace with expectations in the market

2.0
12 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Amazing benefits: no health insurance premium for base, good eye/dental, 401k with 6% matching, reasonable use PTO for salary. - Good pay for area (starting to fall off though). - Fun events (though see "cons" section). - A good place for an entry-level engineer or scientist or get experience.

Cons

Over the years, the mission and culture have changed for the worst, as encouraged by the executive team, particularly their newest members. Electra used to want to save the planet, but have sacrificed their noble path for (you guessed it) money. As such, the executive team keeps making terrible decision after terrible decision with no regards for the company's former morals. Not only has this affected the technology, but the culture as well. The executive team makes no secret of looking down at the rest of the company, really truly believing they are the "rock stars" and everyone, even engineers and scientists, should aspire to their station. With this comes sudden firings and layoffs to anyone that threatens their or the directors' egos (and watch out, because there's three directors for every non-leadership role). Question the viability? Gone. Really good at your job? Gone. Suddenly not part of the "vision" that changes at a whim? Gone. I've seen some very talented, hardworking people let go for the silliest reasons during my tenure here. In return, who's left get run absolutely ragged. Watching young people go from eager and energetic to zombified inside is heartbreaking.

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