Poolside
Small (~150)
Vast AI
Small (~30)
Best For
Poolside
Best for: AI researchers who want frontier code generation work with genuine remote flexibility and Paris offsites
Vast AI
Best for: Scrappy generalists who want a front-row seat to the AI compute revolution
Ratings
PoolsideVast AI
3.8
5.0
Overall
3.5
3.8
Work-Life Balance
3.9
5.0
Culture & Values
3.8
5.0
Comp & Benefits
3.6
5.0
Senior Mgmt
3.6
5.0
Career Opps
👍 76% Recommend
👤 80% CEO Approval (Jason Warner)
👍 100% Recommend
👤 100% CEO Approval (Jake Cannell)
Culture Values
Poolside only
🌐 Remote-Friendly🌱 Learning & Growth
Vast AI only
🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate💎 Strong Comp & Equity
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🤝 Flat Hierarchy🧩 Wears Many Hats
Pros & Cons
Poolside
- Remote-first with monthly Paris gatherings
- Cutting-edge code generation research
- Early-stage with limited structure
- Comp may trail larger AI labs
Vast AI
- Front-row seat to the AI compute revolution — demand for GPU cloud is surging
- Strong compensation and generous equity stakes for a bootstrapped startup
- Processes are still being defined — expect ad hoc workflows
- Intense workload — the team explicitly values high output
Bottom Line
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.
Vast AI
Choose Vast AI if you want perfect Glassdoor scores and generous equity at a tiny GPU marketplace — but expect startup chaos.
Open Roles
Poolside — 12 jobs
💻 Engineering
9
📊 Data
2
🧠 ML / AI
1
Vast AI — 9 jobs
💻 Engineering
6
🧠 ML / AI
2
Summary
Poolside scores 3.8/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.5 work-life balance rating. Vast AI scores 5.0/5.0 overall with a 3.8 WLB. That’s a 1.2-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Flat Hierarchy, Wears Many Hats. Poolside also emphasizes Remote-Friendly, Learning & Growth. Vast AI also emphasizes Ship Fast & Iterate, Strong Comp & Equity.
On the hiring front, Poolside has 12 open roles and Vast AI has 9 open roles.