Pros
This company is going to be big. For those unfamiliar with engineering or the manufacturing industry (like I was), it may not be immediately apparent how innovative this platform truly is. But I can tell you, there are some super smart, incredibly passionate people building this business and there is a tremendous opportunity to transform this industry. Xometry has many of the benefits you’d expect from a startup: cool office space, snacks, fun coworkers, new technology. But perhaps more importantly, it’s a phenomenal springboard for your career. First, if you’ve never worked for a startup pay attention to the investors and published customers. That gives you a sense of how legit the opportunity is. Then consider the ability you have to actually impact the business. There is a lot less bureaucracy and internal politics than you’ll find at a bigger company (and a refreshing change from a lot of the work in the DC area). Across the organization, there are many examples of people who have come in, worked hard, and quickly moved up.
Cons
Like any young organization, Xometry is still working to establish a company culture. Some teams have stronger bonds than others which makes it easier to work through challenges. Disgruntled employees seem to have a warped perception of the demands of the business --which aren’t unique to Xometry. Any startup that has a snowball’s chance in hell of succeeding is going to ask a lot of its employees.