People-First in Name Only: A Culture of Fear, Privilege, and Decline - Engineering Manager Masabi Employee Review

1.0
11 Nov 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

A small core of incredibly capable and dedicated employees still deeply cares about customers and continues to deliver despite the constant internal upheaval.

Cons

Masabi’s "people-first" promise is a cynical fiction. PeopleOps is duplicitous, projecting an image of support while quietly cutting pay, reducing benefits, and systematically pushing out experienced European staff. Roles are now almost exclusively advertised in Colombia—an openly justified move to cut costs and "increase flexibility," which translates to hiring and firing at will. ​This cost-cutting has direct business consequences: ​- We have seen a noticeable increase in product outages. This is a direct result of work being offloaded to inexperienced, first-time role employees in Colombia. ​- These new teams are heavily reliant on their experienced counterparts and managers in Europe, which is strained further by significant time zone challenges and poor planning. ​Innovation has died here, due to the ineptitude and self-interest of the Chief Product Officer CPO. Instead of building a product customers truly value, the CPO remains focused on internal empire-building and political maneuvering. ​Leadership failure runs deep. The CEO's small circle of loyalists holds all the power, supported by enforcers who silence dissent. This inner circle operates under a relentless philosophy of micromanagement and absolute control, actively suppressing new ideas and wanting employees to stay in their lane. We've seen repeated incompetence rewarded: the former CSO, despite YoY failures, was moved sideways into M&A— what wonderful privilege—where the CSO's failure and underperformance continues. The CRO who replaced him didn't last long, which highlights the poor exec recruitment process led by the CEO and PeopleOps. ​There is a palpable culture of fear: stating anything outside the mandated positive narrative ensures you will "disappear," a fate multiple colleagues have suffered. The result is a fractured organization. Collaboration has devolved into open frustration, with overstretched teams arguing instead of solving problems. All-hands meetings are nothing more than staged positivity sessions. Even the glowing culture reviews on Glassdoor feel orchestrated—part of a desperate attempt to rewrite reality while the company slowly unravels.

Explore other reviews about Masabi

5.0
6 Jun 2022
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Masabi creates a great working environment. The People Ops team is fantastic and that translates throughout the company. Colleagues are great, it's a very collaborative environment and I've never worked for a company with customers that are overwhelmingly positive about the company and the service they provide. It's a fast pace place but the positive environment makes it easy to cope with. I also like that they support growth or even change careers internally if that's your goal.

Cons

It's hard to think of any. Maybe them not offering a 401(k) or matching 401(k).

4.0
24 Jan 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

People are fantastic, always willing to help and answer questions. You'll have time to learn the role and are provided guidance.

Cons

Limited growth opportunities. Potential to move laterally to different teams but not much vertical growth.

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