Pros
They are in a position to make a positive change to a world in desperate need (though that'll cut into the bottom line too much so it won't happen)
Cons
When I found Katerra I was excited by the potential I saw in a new, self-proclaimed tech company taking on the construction industry. Not only did they tout advanced technology, but more importantly they were claiming to “choose” the renewable building resource of wood because, by their own Twitter posts, it is so much better for the environment than the alternative building materials. Interestingly enough within 6 months of this Twitter PR stunt Katerra has revealed intent to pursue both steel and concrete as future building products. Just like that Katerra decides one of the largest culprits of CO2 emissions (concrete) is A-okay and fits in well with their “vision”. Strike one. And “tech company” is a slight exaggeration (if “slight” is on an astronomic scale). Any company working in the AEC industry who insists on using AutoCAD over Revit is a poorly managed company that is digging their own grave, but to then call yourself a tech company is nearly criminal. On top of this, I’ve never worked for a company that restricts my access to the computer that I spend my entire career on as much as Katerra. Maybe I’ve just been lucky and have had the opportunity to work for companies that trust their employees are competent enough to handle installs, updates, and deleting desktop shortcuts. You definitely don’t get that trust from Katerra (but trust is one of their tenants… or that’s what their banners like to say at least). Strike two… and three?? Up next is loyalty to employees… Or lack thereof. A month or two ago now the majority of the San Francisco office was relieved of their service out of the blue (there are one or two reviews on here speaking of that), but there has never been as much as an email blast announcing the “change in direction” or explaining the decision in the least. Mike sure is quick to send out his beloved “view from here” spam to let everyone know they are taking advantage of the company’s generosity because too many people sign up for a conference. It’s called professional development, but “let’s be frugal” and do what’s best for the company. I’d probably suggest not typing that email while aboard your private jet if I were looking for quick wins in the budget department… But if you’re Mr. Marks you’d prefer spending ¼ of the average US salary for a warm body in India. I only know this because it had been mentioned in a meeting that Michael was unhappy with how much Katerra was paying on salaries. I guess that does reduce your costs. It sure doesn’t build employee morale nor instill any trust in management. Strike four… five… six?? Good thing this isn’t baseball. There is no work/life balance to speak of. At least from the production level because marketing oversells without know a thing about the time implications they’re selling. It’s not uncommon to see people from each department working 10-12-14-hour days 5-6 days consistently and more so during “crunch time”. Yet another false promise. Strike? I’ve stopped counting. In summary, the cake is a lie. Don’t be like me and get your hopes up that you’ve found the one corporation with a conscience to work for. You haven’t. Katerra might possibly be the antithesis of this mythical unicorn.
