Pros
I have had the pleasure of working with many great colleagues and clients as part of the LitheSpeed team. I have worked with LitheSpeed as a contractor since the company was started and now as an employee for 6 years. The team here is world class and has deep roots in the Agile community. We focus on giving back to the community through podcasts, books, conference presentations and philanthropic endeavors. As an entrepreneurial organization the opportunity to do work beyond what you were hired for is an incredible opportunity for those who enjoy variety. Competency is rapidly rewarded and many people have moved from entry level positions to leadership positions at an incredible pace. In an industry that is majority male, more than half of the employees are women. We are always looking to increase diversity on our team. For a small company we have worked to have very generous policies including maternal/paternal leave, short term disability insurance, matching 401k for all employees, flexible vacation, work hours and work from anywhere policies. We have a culture of financial transparency and profit sharing as well. Over my 20 years in the Agile community, I can say that this is one of only a few companies I would consider working for. I have had a chance to continue to build a personal platform and brand as have others. Like any company, this company has people joining and leaving for various reasons. LitheSpeed has been a place where many people have honed their consulting, coaching and training skills as a stepping stone to other careers. Many have started their own consulting practices afterwards. We often work with our previous employees as sub contractors or they call us in to help the new organization they have joined.
Kontras
While this is not a Con for me it may be for others so I will put it out there. As an entrepreneurial company it is often required that we engage in sales, marketing, speaking, proposal writing and other work that is part of running a business. It is also crucial that the team be fully aligned and focused on organizational outcomes and do what needs to be done, even if it is not our preferred work. Not everyone thrives in this environment and I understand that. I would not thrive in an environment without challenge and variety, even if it means needing to do the boring or unpleasant stuff now and then. It reminds me of working in the family restaurant as a kid.