Modal
Small (~110)
Writer
Mid (~400)
Best For
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Writer
Best for: Professionals interested in Writer
Ratings
ModalWriter
4.0
3.5
Overall
3.8
2.7
Work-Life Balance
4.2
3.6
Culture & Values
3.8
3.5
Comp & Benefits
4.0
3.3
Senior Mgmt
3.5
3.3
Career Opps
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
👍 70% Recommend
👤 74% CEO Approval (CEO)
Culture Values
Modal only
🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🎯 Direct Product Impact🧩 Wears Many Hats
Writer only
No unique values
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🔓 Open Source
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
Writer
- Real AI engineering with proprietary LLMs — not just wrapping OpenAI APIs
- Strong enterprise traction and visionary product direction
- Intense work culture with very high expectations and limited work-life balance
- Growing management layers creating organizational friction
Bottom Line
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Writer
Writer — check Glassdoor for detailed reviews.
Open Roles
Modal — 28 jobs
💻 Engineering
14
📣 Marketing
3
💼 Sales / GTM
3
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
2
💰 Finance
1
Writer — 49 jobs
💻 Engineering
16
💼 Sales / GTM
12
🎨 Design
1
⚙️ Operations
1
📋 Product
1
Summary
Modal scores 4.0/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.8 work-life balance rating. Writer scores 3.5/5.0 overall with a 2.7 WLB. That’s a 0.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate, Open Source. Modal also emphasizes Deep Work / Low Meetings, Direct Product Impact, Wears Many Hats.
On the hiring front, Modal has 28 open roles and Writer has 49 open roles.