Pros
1. If you want to gain exposure to every aspect of the private capital markets, work at PitchBook. 2. If you want to build a career in SaaS/B2B sales, work at PitchBook. 3. If you want to test your personal and professional limits, work at PitchBook. 4. If you want to become become proficient in a highly useful financial software product, work at PitchBook. 5. If you want amazing new hire and ongoing training, work at PitchBook.
Cons
There are truths about PitchBook, and there are opinions about PitchBook. Here are the truths: 1. PitchBook pays significantly lower than many companies in Seattle, especially compared to tech companies. This causes problems for both the acquisition and retention of talent. 2. PitchBook has a lot of organizational dysfunction related to under-developed leadership. By default, the majority of the men in leadership positions achieved those roles as a result of having seniority in a young and rapidly growing company, and not because they are equipped to manage or lead their teams. 3. There are no women in senior leadership roles. As a tech company that operates in the capital markets universe, women are especially scarce and they are not represented among decision makers; a lot of people call it "bro culture," but honestly, PitchBook is not the only place this is a problem, so I don't know whether it is even worth highlighting as part of the PitchBook narrative. Misogyny and male privilege are as equal a part of PitchBook's culture as they are at many other companies. That said, PitchBook is not paving the way for gender equality. 4. PitchBook does not have an executive team, and as a result, the CEO is spread too thin, has his hand in too many projects, and struggles to relinquish control of the daily functions of the company. This really only makes an impact if you're on a team without a solid manager or advocate. 5. There is a certain *type* of person that succeeds at PitchBook. You must be politically savvy, diplomatic, and willing to assimilate. Revolutionary thinkers and people who don't like to party have historically not fit in. If you decide to work at PitchBook, be mindful of how you articulate your ideas and to whom, or it could backfire. Here are my opinions and my experiences: I joined PitchBook in an inside sales role, and I was not successful for a number of personal reasons -- I'm highly analytical, I lacked competitiveness, and I craved more variety in my daily routine. However, I did demonstrate some value in my understanding of PitchBook's industry and product, so I was eventually moved to a different role within the company -- a marketing position -- even though I had never once hit my sales goals. I thought that this new role would be a great fit; I got to collaborate and work on creative projects that contributed to larger, company-wide goals. However, at the time the marketing team lacked a manager and I began to see how hard it was to access guidance, support, feedback, and opportunity. Morale was gravely low. I passionately advocated for change, diagnosed problems and proposed solutions, but it fell on deaf ears. I became frustrated. My delivery became increasingly hostile, both because I felt unheard, and because I encountered very real harassment from a number of men in leadership positions, from comments about my appearance and their apparently inverse relationship with my perceived capabilities, to intentionally created roadblocks in my work product, to actual physical interactions that made me uncomfortable. I don't think this is a common experience, but these experiences absolutely influenced my ability to remain calm and professional in my interactions with key influencers within the company. I lost it and eventually threw myself under the bus, positioning myself as a whistle-blower and purveyor of bad attitudes. So, what do I think about PitchBook? My experience was astronomically bad when it comes to HR issues, but I gained invaluable wisdom and knowledge that I've since applied to my current professional role and aspirations. Because of PitchBook, I know what I want my career to look like 10 years from now, and it's a direction I didn't even know existed at the time I finished college and went on to graduate school. I also learned major lessons in how to better conduct myself when I face challenges and conflicts with coworkers and managers; I learned to "manage up" for the first time ever. Do I regret working there? Definitely not. Do I think it's a healthy place to work? For many people, probably not, but it can be rewarding if you view the experience through the lens of growing pains. It sucks, but you're better for having gone through it. I don't know whether I would recommend working at PitchBook. It was a complex experience for me, as it is for many people, but if I met someone who was applying there, I would encourage them to ask themselves what they value in job opportunities, what they will and will not accept or compromise, and whether a company's values need to align with their own in order to find meaning in a work experience. At the end of the day PitchBook decided that I was not a good fit for it, not the other way around; although, I realize now that PitchBook did me many favors, by teaching me important lessons and by making the decision for me that I should no longer work there. Onward and upward.
