6+ years and going strong
Pros
I've been at SPAN for more than 6 years: from the early days of a dozen employees and not a single product installed through to today's growing global team with products installed in every state. To me, SPAN was, and is, a place where you can (and are expected to) make a difference. Whether you're an intern or a VP, come with an open mind to your role expanding or evolving along with the business. It obviously hasn't been a smooth or easy ride: there's been peaks and dips along the way but the vision and impact of what SPAN is doing for electrification and grid management is more apparent day-by-day. The (majority of the!) people I get to work with everyday are extremely capable, motivated and driven by the same values and mission. Certainly the business, the building, the people and product have changed a lot over the years but I see that evolution as an expected part of any startup's growth. SPAN is a place where you are _required_ to have an impact - that's what continues to drive me and I hope that's why you'll apply as well!
Cons
If you want to sit back, coast and earn big tech money for doing nothing of enormous relevance whilst collecting a generous salary, this isn't the place. The hours can be long; the roadmap and priorities can switch without much notice and we have a long way to go in terms of organizational communication efficiency. That's part of the challenge of any growing startup and should not come as a shock anyone applying. What's important is that there's an awareness of the current issues and a plan to address them with key hires, a plan (and people) to revamp the collaborative and supportive culture of the early days and a promising outlook for the future of the technology. Personally - I believe all those things are opportunities and not a reason to work elsewhere.
