It always appealed to me to work for a smaller tech start-up. I knew there’d be more opportunity for me to make an impact on the wider business mission, as well as more freedom to experiment. For me, that’s ultimately the best way to feel fulfilled and challenged in my work. But I couldn’t have prepared myself for how true those things would be at Marshmallow!
🪝 How I got hooked
I was intrigued by Marshmallow as a company when I discovered them. As an expat myself, I’d endured the struggles of costly insurance that Marshmallow set out to solve all those years ago! (For those who don’t know, insurance is really overpriced for non-UK-born drivers, which is part of the reason Marshmallow came to be. They wanted to, and still work hard to, offer insurance that’s cheaper, faster and fairer for everyone!). But it was the company’s rapid expansion and obvious ambition that made me want to be a part of the team.
It was clear to me, even from the recruitment process, that this company was forward-thinking. My interviews were distinctly un-robotic; everyone I spoke to seemed to take a genuine interest in me as an individual, asking about my professional expectations and goals. Since joining, I’ve realised that this interview experience was just another example of the company putting into practice its well-established principle — allowing people to take ownership and develop fast 🚀
🤩 When reality beats expectations
I expected my first few weeks at Marshmallow to be spent quietly learning and absorbing, without contributing much — as that always seems to be the case in a new role! But it’s not like that here. You’re given full autonomy almost immediately. The attitude is: “We hired you because we’re confident that you’re good, here’s a chance to prove us right!” Once you demonstrate an understanding of something, you’re given complete control of the decision-making that comes with it.
I find this kind of empowerment inspires me to work even harder, giving me the confidence needed to innovate. I work as an Engineer in the Growth team, and innovation is key to all of the work we do (whether that’s overseeing pricing or calibrating with third-party services) and helps up make a significant impact on revenue.
On top of this, the competency of such a talented team means that the technical architecture is incredibly well designed, which is music to my ears as an engineer! In previous jobs, it felt like I was working within a strict technical maze. But at Marshmallow, the tech architecture feels more like a living organism — constantly evolving, just like the company as a whole.
🕺 An inspiring team
The impact of this competence extends beyond the systems. When you work around other high-functioning collaborative people, you feel even more inspired to develop and grow yourself. I’ve found that across the board at Marshmallow, people have a unique drive and this fosters an inspiring work culture. I’m fascinated by the transparency that’s encouraged at all levels. The more familiar you become with honest loops of feedback, the more comfortable you are in sharing improvements and ideas of your own. But most importantly — these ideas are listened to and acted upon in a way that I really don’t think they would be in older institutions.
Company-wide monthly meets and weekly updates from the Founders reinstill the core values and ambitions of the company, and (even though I joined whilst everyone’s in lockdown) the sense of community is feels really strong. I'm really enjoying meeting more of the team face-to-face as we spend more time in the office! I’m really proud to be a part of something that’s achieved so much growth in such a small amount of time, and I’ve got a feeling that for Marshmallow, just like for me, this is only the beginning! 💪
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