Vantaggi
Despite its recent growth, Niantic remains a startup at heart and in scale-- many people wear many hats. Teams are flexible and constantly under pressure from multiple directions. Change and challenges emerge fast, and those who can think on their feet, see problems before they metastasize, coordinate effectively and own responsibilities will thrive, be recognized and advance. The company's vision is riding the forward horizon and is empowered to push even further-- it's a powerful thrill being a part of that. Personally, this is exactly the kind of environment that keeps me awake, hungry and excited.
Svantaggi
See the above -- for those who require the safety of structure and calm waters, Niantic is probably still early in its growth for those kinds of conditions. Each team and project is different, so it's possible you could find such an environment here, but that's just not the one I have sought nor the one I have found. At times, the startup vibe can become chaotic -- even frustrating. Often it's when one sees a problem and nobody else seems to be acting to solve it. That can be a con and a pro... it's an opportunity to step up and be that person -- the solver and the seer -- or an opportunity to complain about how the systems are too nascent to prevent such a situation from ever happening. All in the perspective and who you are as a contributor to the whole.