Baseten
Small (~100)
Poolside
Small (~150)
Best For
Baseten
Best for: Engineers who want high ownership building ML inference infrastructure
Poolside
Best for: AI researchers who want frontier code generation work with genuine remote flexibility and Paris offsites
Ratings
BasetenPoolside
4.3
3.8
Overall
3.5
3.5
Work-Life Balance
4.3
3.9
Culture & Values
4.0
3.8
Comp & Benefits
4.2
3.6
Senior Mgmt
4.0
3.6
Career Opps
👍 76% Recommend
👤 80% CEO Approval (Jason Warner)
Culture Values
Baseten only
🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🎯 Direct Product Impact
Poolside only
🌐 Remote-Friendly🌱 Learning & Growth
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🧩 Wears Many Hats🤝 Flat Hierarchy
Pros & Cons
Baseten
- Cutting-edge ML inference infrastructure — deploying models at scale for real production customers
- Small team means high ownership and direct impact on product direction and company strategy
- Limited resources compared to larger competitors — can feel stretched thin on multiple fronts
- Fast-moving product roadmap means priorities shift frequently as the market evolves
Poolside
- Remote-first with monthly Paris gatherings
- Cutting-edge code generation research
- Early-stage with limited structure
- Comp may trail larger AI labs
Bottom Line
Baseten
Choose Baseten if you want high ownership building ML inference infrastructure at an early-stage startup — but expect startup intensity and shifting priorities.
Poolside
Choose Poolside if you want cutting-edge code AI research on a remote-first flat team (ex-GitHub CTO leadership) — but expect early-stage ambiguity and comp that trails the larger AI labs.
Open Roles
Baseten — 55 jobs
💻 Engineering
25
💼 Sales / GTM
12
⚙️ Operations
4
📣 Marketing
3
📋 Product
3
🧠 ML / AI
2
📊 Data
1
👤 HR / People
1
Poolside — 12 jobs
💻 Engineering
9
📊 Data
2
🧠 ML / AI
1
Summary
Baseten scores 4.3/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.5 work-life balance rating. Poolside scores 3.8/5.0 overall with a 3.5 WLB. That’s a 0.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Wears Many Hats, Flat Hierarchy. Baseten also emphasizes Ship Fast & Iterate, Direct Product Impact. Poolside also emphasizes Remote-Friendly, Learning & Growth.
On the hiring front, Baseten has 55 open roles and Poolside has 12 open roles.