My experience working at Forbes Advisor was consistently undermined by poor leadership at both the product and executive levels. There was a persistent lack of direction, clarity, and strategic alignment, which made it difficult to understand priorities or feel confident that the work being done had a meaningful or ethical purpose.
Product leadership often shifted goals abruptly, leaving teams scrambling without a clear rationale. Executive decision-making felt disconnected from the realities of the work, and communication was frequently vague or contradictory. This created an environment where it was hard to trust the guidance being given or to feel supported in delivering quality outcomes.
One of the most troubling aspects was the approach to growth and performance. There were repeated instances where strategies seemed more focused on gaming systems—particularly Google rankings—than on building genuinely valuable, user‑centric products. This created a moral tension for me personally, as I often felt like I was contributing to initiatives that didn’t feel right or aligned with best practices.
Another concern for me was the company’s hiring approach. Over time, it increasingly relied on talent in lower‑cost regions. While there were many skilled and dedicated people in those locations, it often felt like the primary motivation was cost savings rather than investing in quality or building balanced, sustainable teams. This contributed to a sense that the company prioritized short‑term efficiency over long‑term product excellence.
Overall, the combination of unclear leadership, questionable strategic choices, and a lack of transparency made it difficult to feel proud of the work or confident in the organization’s direction.
