Modal
Small (~110)
Pinecone
Small (~130)
Best For
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Pinecone
Best for: Infrastructure engineers who want to build the vector database powering the AI revolution
Ratings
ModalPinecone
4.0
4.2
Overall
3.8
4.3
Work-Life Balance
4.2
4.5
Culture & Values
3.8
3.8
Comp & Benefits
4.0
4.0
Senior Mgmt
3.5
3.8
Career Opps
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
👍 80% Recommend
👤 85% CEO Approval (Edo Liberty)
Culture Values
Modal only
🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🔓 Open Source Culture🧩 Wears Many Hats
Pinecone only
🌐 Remote-Friendly🕐 Flexible Hours🌈 Diverse & Inclusive🌱 Learning & Growth
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🎯 Direct Product Impact
Pros & Cons
Modal
- World-class engineering team — includes creators of Luigi, Seaborn, and olympiad medalists
- High-impact product with 50x revenue growth — developers widely praise the platform
- Early-stage startup dynamics — roles shift quickly, requires high self-direction
- Limited HR infrastructure — benefits and career ladders still being developed
Pinecone
- Exceptional colleagues — warm, welcoming, and technically among the best in the industry
- Fully remote with strong company culture, autonomy, and genuine growth opportunities
- Significant layoffs in 2024 (30% of staff) eroded trust and reduced headcount
- Below-market base salary even with equity compensation
Bottom Line
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Pinecone
Choose Pinecone if you want fully remote work on critical AI infrastructure — but recent layoffs have created uncertainty.
Open Roles
Modal — 31 jobs
💻 Engineering
10
💼 Sales / GTM
5
👤 HR / People
3
🎨 Design
2
💰 Finance
2
📣 Marketing
2
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
1
Pinecone — 13 jobs
💻 Engineering
8
📋 Product
2
📣 Marketing
1
🧠 ML / AI
1
💼 Sales / GTM
1