Data firm Palantir has become notorious for its work with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Israeli military, sparking protests in multiple countries.
Former employees say that the public misunderstands what the company does.
One ex-staffer comments that it’s hard to explain what Palantir works on or what it does, even for people who have worked there.
Others say the company has cultivated its mysterious image on purpose, pitching itself as a powerful quasi-military intelligence partner to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.
Palantir’s software helps customers integrate and analyse data without needing to change their underlying architecture, making it well suited for government agencies that may use state-of-the-art software cobbled together with 1960s programming languages.
Its pitch is to help companies overcome the challenges associated with storing and structuring data, bringing investigations and business decision-makers to the correct solution.
Former employees cite the company’s flat staffing structure as what distinguishes it from other tech companies, creating a meritocratic culture where the best ideas rise to the top.
