Autodesk reviews

This company has a serious disconnect between its culture and the realities of the construction industry. The focus is on theory over practicality, optics over substance. Decades of PM experience carry less weight than a few years of PE experience, and the culture rewards echo chamber behavior. Challenge the narrative with good intent and professionalism and you will be penalized. Career growth is tied more to fitting a corporate mold than delivering results. Sales and flashy new logos are prioritized at the expense of sustainable implementation. Feedback from employees or customers is often dismissed with condescension, making authentic conversations nearly impossible. The environment is highly factional, especially with all the acquisitions. People proudly identify with the acquisition they came from, and middle managers protect their own groups rather than work toward a bigger vision. Many of these managers lack any real understanding of the broader platform, and eliminating half of them would probably improve performance by cutting wasted time and resources. One-on-ones are routinely weaponized. Favorites dominate the narrative, and management will spend months cultivating that version of events without ever putting all parties on a call. In most cases, fabricated drama would have been snuffed out immediately with direct conversation, but middle management seemed incapable of managing conflict productively. Not only would they fail to manage conflict appropriately, but on multiple occasions I was asked to overstep my role and act as a mediator between third parties in completely different organizations because my manager lacked the courage to handle it himself. This was not an isolated issue; many colleagues witnessed the same pattern from other managers. Remote work amplified the problem. In an in-person office setting, most of the drama I watched unfold would never have happened. The company also leans heavily toward design backgrounds, treating architecture and construction as if they are interchangeable. AE’s and TSE’s are expected to be “dangerous enough” in every piece of software, which is like asking a brain surgeon to cover for a podiatrist because “they’re both doctors.” Customer conversations are repetitive and shallow, since every year a new sales team shows up with the same playbook and a couple of new logos. The real focus is on bundling as much software as possible and locking customers into “sticky” renewals, whether or not they actually need it. Policies do not apply equally to everyone. The only people who thrive are those who disappear into a cushy WFH salary or engage in constant flattery. Those who put their heads down, work hard, and hit goals often end up targeted. It creates a toxic environment where politics matters far more than performance. Bottom line This was the worst job for mental health I have ever had. Even construction jobs with no HR and rough culture were healthier because at least they were honest. Here, the company pretends to be something it is not, and if you do not feel like a fraud within a year, you probably are one. Disclaimer The above reflects my personal opinions and experiences only. Others may have different perspectives, but this is how I experienced the culture and management during my time there.

Highly siloed teams with poor cross-department collaboration. Weak work/life balance, long hours often expected, but then the extra hours put in are not appreciated. Promotions are driven more by connections than performance. Outdated, overly complex software products that are difficult to modernize or maintain. Layoffs occur regularly, yet similar roles are soon re-posted and filled. Heavy spending on management, admin, and sales rather than product development. Products are outdated and mostly in maintenance mode, yet still sold at outrageously high prices. Subscription model locks customers in and customers are left with nothing if they stop paying. Work often feels more valued by customers than by Autodesk’s own management team. Software is buggy, but the development team is too small to properly fix issues and instead focuses on adding or removing features or making cosmetic changes. Bloated management, with insufficient focus on developers to create the best products.