Overall however, relocating to Sweden for iZettle was a big mistake and an utter waste of years.
The structure imposed is systemically and inevitably bound to create a toxic work environment. Developer's careers and employments are solely determined by the whims and opinions of a single non-technical role detached from actual daily development -- the tech manager.
Lacking first-hand input, the tech manager relies on one of two things: either surface observations or petty gossip-like feedback from other team members in regular 1:1 and check-in meetings. Given the steep and limited career progression in terms of grade levels and roles in iZettle, if you chance upon a team that happens to compare salaries and are mostly in competition for an appraisal, then you end up with a disaster. Despite receiving stellar feedback, if you unfortunately chance upon a corporate psychopath of a manager, well, it'd be time to call it quits and move on.
A system that relies solely on the hopes of hiring benevolent and competent tech managers with no counterchecks against abuses, bullying and sheer incompetence in management is simply not good for anyone's sanity long-term, so I am thrilled that my time there is finally over.
Browsing through the reviews on this site since 2014 they all mention the same recurring flaws which rang true to my experience as well working there: poor management and lack of growth. Sadly, all these reviews get the same generic complacent response that "..things can always be improved" as a bottomline excuse for perpetual inaction.
