Pros
High power lasers present engineering challenges unlike any other field. It's a great place to learn through design and prototype testing while advancing the technology. There are many smart, motivated people that are great to work with in the rare cases when upper management doesn't interfere. Being a highly dysfunctional startup, it's also a powerful lesson on how not to manage a company.
Kontras
Upper management is unethical, illogical, egotistical, disrespectful, and incapable of change no matter how bad it gets. A deliberately negative tone is set from the top leaving everyone frustrated and unsupportive. Bad technical decisions are constantly being forced on people who know better. Loyalty in either direction is non-existent as good people are fired or "weed themselves out" on a weekly basis.