Poolside
Small (~150)
Weaviate
Small (~110)
Best For
Poolside
Best for: AI researchers who want frontier code generation work with genuine remote flexibility and Paris offsites
Weaviate
Best for: Engineers who want open-source vector database work with true remote-first, async culture
Ratings
PoolsideWeaviate
3.8
4.3
Overall
3.5
4.2
Work-Life Balance
3.9
4.5
Culture & Values
3.8
4.0
Comp & Benefits
3.6
4.2
Senior Mgmt
3.6
4.0
Career Opps
👍 76% Recommend
👤 80% CEO Approval (Jason Warner)
👍 85% Recommend
👤 90% CEO Approval (Bob van Luijt)
Culture Values
Poolside only
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🧩 Wears Many Hats🌱 Learning & Growth
Weaviate only
📡 Async-First🔓 Open Source⚖️ Work-Life Balance🌈 Diverse & Inclusive🛡️ Safe to Fail
Shared
🌐 Remote-Friendly🤝 Flat Hierarchy
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
Weaviate
- Excellent remote-first culture — async workflows, timezone respect, and high autonomy
- Flat, ego-free culture — your voice is heard from day 1 regardless of title
- Time zone challenges inherent to a fully distributed global team
- Startup growing pains — processes still being established, things evolve quickly
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.
Weaviate
Choose Weaviate if you want excellent remote culture with flat hierarchy and open-source mission — but expect startup growing pains.
Open Roles
Poolside — 12 jobs
💻 Engineering
9
📊 Data
2
🧠 ML / AI
1
Weaviate — 5 jobs
💻 Engineering
3
💼 Sales / GTM
2
Summary
Poolside scores 3.8/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.5 work-life balance rating. Weaviate scores 4.3/5.0 overall with a 4.2 WLB. That’s a 0.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Remote-Friendly, Flat Hierarchy. Poolside also emphasizes Engineering-Driven, Wears Many Hats, Learning & Growth. Weaviate also emphasizes Async-First, Open Source, Work-Life Balance, Diverse & Inclusive, Safe to Fail.
On the hiring front, Poolside has 12 open roles and Weaviate has 5 open roles.