Modal
Small (~110)
Sierra
Large (~500)
Best For
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Sierra
Best for: Builders who want to work with proven Salesforce and Google leadership on enterprise AI agents
Ratings
ModalSierra
4.0
4.0
Overall
3.8
3.5
Work-Life Balance
4.2
4.1
Culture & Values
3.8
4.0
Comp & Benefits
4.0
3.8
Senior Mgmt
3.5
3.8
Career Opps
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
👍 80% Recommend
👤 84% CEO Approval (Bret Taylor)
Culture Values
Modal only
🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🔓 Open Source🎯 Direct Product Impact🧩 Wears Many Hats
Sierra only
💎 Strong Comp & Equity🌱 Learning & Growth
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate
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
Sierra
- Elite founders with proven track records
- Strong equity at $10B valuation
- In-person-first culture
- Competitive intensity may not suit everyone
Bottom Line
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Sierra
Choose Sierra if you want elite founders (Bret Taylor, Clay Bavor) and strong equity at a $10B enterprise AI company — but it's in-person-first and the competitive intensity won't suit everyone.
Open Roles
Modal — 28 jobs
💻 Engineering
14
📣 Marketing
3
💼 Sales / GTM
3
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
2
💰 Finance
1
Sierra — 134 jobs
💻 Engineering
42
💼 Sales / GTM
27
📋 Product
15
👤 HR / People
7
🎨 Design
5
⚖️ Legal
5
📣 Marketing
5
⚙️ Operations
5
📊 Data
2
💰 Finance
1
Summary
Modal scores 4.0/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.8 work-life balance rating. Sierra scores 4.0/5.0 overall with a 3.5 WLB. They’re tied on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate. Modal also emphasizes Deep Work / Low Meetings, Open Source, Direct Product Impact, Wears Many Hats. Sierra also emphasizes Strong Comp & Equity, Learning & Growth.
On the hiring front, Modal has 28 open roles and Sierra has 134 open roles.