A place for new grads with no experience and a nightmare for seasoned experienced professionals - Product Marketing Manager MathWorks Employee Review

1.0
Jul 14, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The title says all. If you enjoy small perks, with no value -add to your career (green apples, cookies and coffee) then go for it.

Cons

For seasoned highly skilled, master or doctorate level, qualified and experienced people: stay away as much as possible from MathWorks. The company does everything, according to the needs of the CEO and his "trusty" people direct under him. Those needs are usually driven by perpetual sense of power and control. That is shown to all the other people, in the form of the passive-aggressive form of : We are doing things our own way, because they worked so well for the past 40 yrs. Managers, wake up and remove your heads out of the sand (ostrich policy). Things have changed, and there are strong players in the industry which are blowing away MathWorks. If you think that you learn something and you will just join MathWorks to gain career skills... think again. All the processes are internally developed, with no application anywhere else ( Because they don't apply due to their "uniqueness"). They (processes) are mostly developed to accommodate and facilitate the upper management's controlling power (that power is eroded due to the the growing number of low paying programmers (they keep hirring) which need to be managed). MathWorks lacks the vision of the future, in a highly dynamic and growing market, where open source is becoming the norm and choice. The company refuses to see that reality due to the poor managers, whom have been working there for more than 18-25 years (in most cases this was their first job after their graduation) . These managers look after their personal interest. That is to get to the retirement age, with a fat check, while picking up the quarterly fat bonus, Also, if you interview for them and thinking to join MathWorks, understand that there are no promotions nor career growth. The title they give you is meaningless because they value seniority at the company. The more number of years you spend with them the more senior you are. That's why your previous experience will not count. 10 years spent within the company represent the "big threshold" to cross, to attain "tenure". Till then, you might notice that, some kid, who joined MathWorks 5 years ago, for a low paying job, is actually considered senior to you. The company is geared around and for developers and development management specifically. There are only few of them and they make all the decisions about the products. Interestingly, they never leave their offices and rarely talk to customers. Yet they plan and put in place the whole road-map of the product. They don't rely too much on actual market data, or marketing people recommendations, they mostly assume what is needed. To make matter worse, there are a lot of redundancies among various products, due to development managers' "turf wars". That comes from their trying to prove to the upper executive management, whom is worthy of their attention, by building "cool" products (mostly with little to no value to the customers). Marketing organization is "auxiliary" to the developers and is mostly asked to provide marketing (collateral) documents. The overall sense is that marketing is optional, as an internal organization and almost unnecessary. As a result, the development side is always mocking and deriding marketing and product management personnel. That attitude creates a stressful environment which leads most of the marketing people, to a demoralizing self-fulfilling attitude. If they try to advertise the quarterly bonus, during the interviewing stage... That bonus is very small, for the first 1-3 years. It grows slowly as you are during your "tenure track" and in the beginning you will effectively get somewhere 5-6%. It will be weighted heavily by the number of years spent at the company and its growths is extremely small from year to year for the first years. Most of the people with experience from previous jobs have left the company within 1-3 years due to all of the above reasons. The attrition rate for the experience people coming from outside is the highest. As a result the company is turning toward internships, helping to grow and mold the people according to company's interest.

Explore other reviews about MathWorks

5.0
Apr 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I’ve had a long and rewarding career at MathWorks, and overall, it has been a great place to grow, contribute, and build meaningful products. One of the biggest strengths of the company is its work-life balance and stability. The environment allows you to focus on doing high-quality work without the constant pressure seen in many high-growth tech companies. The Natick location is also a practical advantage—commuting is generally far more manageable compared to Cambridge or downtown Boston, especially for those living outside the city. MathWorks is an excellent place for engineers interested in solving complex, domain-driven problems in engineering and scientific computing. The work is meaningful and grounded in real-world applications. However, those primarily focused on modern SaaS platforms or rapidly evolving software development trends may find other environments better aligned with their interests. The company’s focus on desktop and integrated engineering workflows remains a strength for its core users. As the industry evolves with AI and increasing emphasis on engineering-driven problem solving over pure software development, this positioning may continue to play to MathWorks’ strengths. The company tends to reward long-term contributions. While compensation may not match some high-growth tech companies early on, there are meaningful long-term rewards for those who invest in the company, perform well, and expand their scope over time. This tends to work best for individuals who build strong relationships with their managers and stakeholders and actively seek broader ownership. The overall experience can vary by team, which is true in most large organizations. Having a strong and aligned relationship with your manager is critical. Hard work is recognized, but it’s important to be proactive about finding the right fit early—whether that means adjusting within the team or exploring other groups if needed. In addition to technical contribution, visibility and effective communication of impact play an important role. Recognition can vary by team, so being proactive about how you present your work and align with broader priorities makes a difference. For those looking to grow into roles such as management or pursue promotions, it’s important to be proactive and intentional—strong performance alone may not always be sufficient, and clearly communicating your goals and advocating for them can make a meaningful difference. The technical depth of managers and senior leaders can vary by team. In environments where leadership remains closely connected to the technical work, the opportunities for growth and learning are exceptional. In other cases, individuals may need to be more proactive in seeking out technical mentorship and continuing to build their expertise. For those who enjoy staying close to the technical work, the individual contributor (IC) track can be especially rewarding. It provides continued opportunities to deepen technical expertise, maintain hands-on engagement, and derive satisfaction from solving complex problems alongside highly skilled engineers. In my experience, many of the strongest ideas and technical contributions come from ICs and technically engaged leaders. Management roles tend to be more focused on coordination, people development, and organizational responsibilities, and may not always offer the same level of hands-on technical engagement. Individuals should choose the path that best aligns with their strengths and interests. The leadership team is highly respected, and there is a genuine sense that the CEO cares deeply about employees and the long-term health of the company. In my view, broader industry trends—including the rise of AI and a growing emphasis on engineering-driven problem solving over pure software development—position MathWorks well and could serve as a meaningful catalyst for future growth.

Cons

- Compensation may lag top-tier tech companies. - Growth and recognition can vary by team and may take time. - Outcomes depend on manager alignment and visibility of work.

5.0
Dec 22, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

MathWorks has a culture of very smart, thoughtful people who genuinely identify with the company’s core values, and many have been here for a long time. Career progression is slow but meaningful, with advancement earned rather than given through empty titles. There’s a good balance between individual contributors and managers. Product Marketing is particularly interesting, combining aspects of product management and product marketing with broad interaction across customers, engineering, and sales. The work is varied, and once you earn trust you have a lot of freedom in how you interpret and shape your role. At headquarters, having a private office for everyone is a big plus.

Cons

Decision-making can be slow, as teams are careful to optimize for quality and correctness. There is occasional misalignment across product team strategies, with each group focusing on doing the right thing for its own area. Development retains strong ownership of the product roadmap, which is understandable but can sometimes lead to gaps with market demand.

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