Strong people, clouded vision at the top - Software Engineer Harrison-AI Employee Review

The original vision and product are amazing, and you'll work with some incredibly talented, passionate people.

The CEO is in full blown AI psychosis. An AI chatbot that he vibe coded over the Christmas break has been given full access to all company systems and IP, he takes it as a personal insult if you don't use it on a daily basis, and non-technical staff are encouraged to use it to deploy apps that are putting company secrets at serious risk. The company is hemorrhaging money and operating at a huge loss, yet the CEO boasts about having "infinite runway" in the same breath as laying off 25% of the company for the most insane restructure yet (there have been many...) Mega $$$$ was spent for a whole rebranding and rollout of new "company values", and less than a year later those values have been abandoned. Deadlines keep getting shorter, more unattainable and expected to be completed with fewer staff. (Ever heard of a medical device company that does not have a test team?????) Everyone is SO burnt out and looking to get out. Engagement survey results are so bad that they aren't even shared anymore, let alone actioned. I am unsure if it's arrogance or desperation, but the company is scrambling and has lost the noble vision it once had.

Genuinely smart and talented people across the board — the Engineering team in particular is a highlight, with a strong collaborative culture and plenty of opportunities to learn from high-calibre colleagues.

Shifting direction and roadmaps — priorities change frequently, making it difficult to build momentum or deliver with confidence. Long-term planning feels unstable. High-pressure, fast-paced environment — the pace itself isn't unusual for a startup, but combined with constant directional shifts and the challenges of coordinating across global time zones, it becomes genuinely draining over time (many ppls are working over times - without compensations) Repeated restructures and redundancies — reorganisations happen with concerning regularity, and the handling of these processes leaves a lot to be desired. The lack of transparency and care erodes internal trust and confidence over time, and the reputational damage compounds with each cycle. Leadership's approach to AI implementation — senior leadership appears to be embracing AI tooling without adequate rigour around architecture, design, and quality. Without proper testing and governance foundations, this approach risks exposing users and the market to avoidable issues — the difference between a successful, efficient rollout and a chaotic one comes down to decisions being made (or not made) at the top.