Bad place to work - werkgeversreview Business Development Manager bij Applico

Applico is honestly doing some of the most innovative and fascinating work I’ve ever been part of. The projects are challenging in the best way—messy, ambiguous, and high-impact—and you’re trusted to figure things out, not just follow a playbook. The work lives right at the intersection of business, design, and technology, and it constantly pushes you to think bigger and sharper. The people are a huge part of what makes it special. Almost everyone has built something before—started companies, raised money, exited—and that experience really shows. Conversations are smart, direct, and grounded in real-world execution. There’s very little fluff, no micromanaging, and a strong culture of ownership. You’re surrounded by people who are genuinely curious and really good at what they do. Leadership is a standout. The CEO is flexible, thoughtful, and gives people a lot of trust. Expectations are high, but you’re treated like an adult. The company is fully remote, which somehow still feels highly collaborative, and the flexibility makes it possible to do deep, focused work without burning out. What really sets Applico apart is how innovative the work is. Teams are encouraged to challenge assumptions, push ideas further, and take smart risks. Some of the projects I worked on here were easily the most creative and intellectually engaging of my career. Overall, Applico is a phenomenal place if you want to do meaningful, cutting-edge work with sharp people, real autonomy, and leadership that actually practices what it preaches.

The biggest “con” is also what makes Applico great: the company is fully remote and incredibly flexible. That means there’s no physical office and fewer in-person meetings, which might be a downside if you enjoy being in the same room for business discussions or feeding off that in-person energy. Communication is intentional and meetings are purposeful, so you don’t get the casual office drop-ins—but that’s the tradeoff for real autonomy, deep focus, and a culture that genuinely trusts you to manage your time and do great work.

The sense of team camaraderie to get the work done despite the fact the leads have no clue about what needs to be done or what process is needed to achieve the project goals.

Management have no clue on what needs to be done to deliver a product to market in time and within budget. Company culture and values are a joke, as other employees pointed out here is all smoke and mirrors, the CEO probably read something on a book about it and decided make it his own, truth is team meetings are outside working hours and if a holiday comes you need to work extra hours the days before to compensate the vacation time. Special mention for the interns (many so we have free workforce), not only they have a $0 salary, they have to bring they own computer. After all its all about the CEO celebrity wannabe, if he can be on TV he will be happy, if he is also labeled as the CEO of the top app maker in the US -not joking, really? Who believes that?- he can even buy you an ice cream.