Kool-aid on tap at Refinery29 - Software Engineer Refinery29 Employee Review

1.0
Aug 11, 2015
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

A very cushy job. Generally no overtime. You can do the bare minimum. Impossible to get fired, you have no idea. Free snacks.

Cons

Lack of leadership. Code is a never ending mess that hasn't improve much over the last 2 years. Clique culture. Too many junior devs, not enough knowledgeable people. You won't get to work on cutting edge tech. Don't even think of bringing up flaws or issues, you'll make someone else have to do their job and you'll be the enemy. As long as you close tickets you're doing a good job, even if it's adding to the mess. Engineering is in fact the most underperforming department, but they have so much money no one notices. For some reason front-end people wont take jobs here. The good people leave after getting burnt out from trying to make a change.

Explore other reviews about Refinery29

5.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture, extremely nice employees, diverse workplace

Cons

Not very cutting edge with their approach to tech

4.0
Mar 23, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Refinery29 was training day, every day. The pace and creative expectations forced you to sharpen fast. I cut my teeth here over four years and came out a fundamentally better strategist. The work was culturally plugged in, the people were sharp, and you were trusted with real responsibility early. If you wanted to learn how brand, content, and audience intersect at speed, there was no better place.

Cons

The intensity that makes it a great training ground also means the environment runs hot. Not everyone thrives in that — and depending on your team, support structures varied. The company went through a lot of change during my time, which created some instability.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All