Finfare: A Revolving Door with No Vision - Recensione dipendente - Laid Off presso Finfare

The below is 100% truthful as my personal experience at Finfare, is fact-based on personal/employee anecdotes, and free from defamatory or inappropriate content. All information regarding comments on leadership, products, or previous experiences is publicly available information on the company's website, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn. The following contains no confidential or proprietary business information beyond what is already publicly available on the platforms mentioned above, contains no false claims, ill intent, and is well within Glassdoor's community guidelines. What It's Like Working at Finfare: I was told my position was open due to "exponential" growth. The company stated that they had purchased the office building they'd been renovating for over a year because they would be here "for a long time." Employees were also informed that there were "multiple product lines in development." However, during my time there, various teams and departments were quietly being laid off on a weekly basis. Leadership expressed surprise that the company did not meet revenue goals, even after cutting products, laying off multiple teams (as seen in previous reviews), and shifting development resources away from viable products. Many employees shared similar concerns, and job security became an ongoing worry. A Real Experience at Finfare: In 2024, an all-hands meeting was held for 100+ employees following a recent round of layoffs. New employees voiced concerns about job security and sought more information regarding the company’s product vision. Leadership, in a unified message, stated that Finfare is a high-risk, high-reward startup and that job security was uncertain. To illustrate this, they conducted a live search for "the most stable jobs in Orange County, CA," listing careers in government, healthcare, and blue-collar industries—none of which were related to roles at Finfare. The exercise left employees with more questions than answers. Observations on Strategy and Leadership: During my time at the company, there was little emphasis on a dedicated revenue-generation team. Leadership did not appear to have prior fintech experience, nor did they seem open to the insights of industry experts within the company. In contrast, most competitive fintech startups invest heavily in sales teams to drive revenue. In my experience, internal wins were rarely celebrated—perhaps fewer than three in my tenure—which was unusual for a startup. Employees were often left in the dark, with little transparency about progress or setbacks. Despite the company’s founding in 2021, it seemed that no new tangible product developments had been made since 2023. Promising projects were frequently abandoned without clear explanation. Workplace Culture & Policies: - Regular layoffs have occurred since 2022, as other reviews have mentioned. When employees sought explanations, they were often told it was "because it's a startup." - Remaining employees were expected to absorb additional responsibilities following layoffs, increasing workloads significantly. - Job security appeared to be heavily dependent on department performance and management. Employees often found themselves reassigned to different teams without clear direction. - Perks and benefits were progressively reduced, while funds were allocated to non-essential office items like a pinball machine and decorative furniture. - The on-site work policy changed from two days a week to five, but this did not apply to C-suite executives, who frequently worked remotely. - Finfare is one of the few fintech companies in LA/OC that requires five days on-site, whereas most competitors have hybrid or fully remote options. - C-suite executives typically arrived late in the morning (around 10 AM or later) and often left after lunch, while other employees were expected to maintain full office attendance. - Leadership communication primarily occurred outside regular business hours, and employees were expected to be immediately responsive when leadership reached out, even though leadership was not as accessible during standard work hours. - The company had a 90-day waiting period before employees could utilize unlimited PTO. In 2025, references to unlimited PTO and hybrid work were quietly removed from the company’s benefits page, raising concerns about future policy changes. Ethical & Professional Concerns - I encountered multiple situations where I was uncomfortable with certain business practices and was expected to comply. - There was pressure to prioritize company objectives over maintaining external professional relationships multiple times during my tenure. - Leadership consistently discouraged employees from questioning strategic decisions. - Frequent leadership turnover resulted in new hires making significant changes despite having limited industry experience. - Product strategy and vision changed almost quarterly due to constant shifts in personnel and leadership.