Misery for Sales Talent - Account Executive Appian Employee Review

2.0
5 Jul 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good product. Engineering is talented. HQ in Reston is nice. Appian World conference has stepped up its game over the years.

Cons

Overwhelming majority of sales reps fail miserably. Zero sales for the year is very common. Only a few of the 100+ reps hit quota or even come close. Most of these have a territory of install accounts, which is the only path to real revenue. Appian Sales management has zero strategy for breaking into new logos. Sales Engineering has no appetite or capacity to appropriately resource the “land” deals that will ultimately “expand”. Believe the reviews re Nepotism and Loyalty - the SVP only surrounds himself with those who will kiss the ring and the sales management org is full of family friends. Everyone else will be verbally abused in front of their peers during QBRs. Between QBRs, an extraordinary amount of effort takes place to avoid SVP tantrums and knee jerk reactions that destroy deals and morale. Appian co-founders don’t understand sales, and even struggle with normal human interaction. Some are better / worse than others, but none know or appreciate real sales talent.

Explore other reviews about Appian

5.0
23 Oct 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I loved my co-workers. Everyone was super helpful and a lot of people were friendly. I enjoyed hanging out with them during lunch hour. People thought very highly of the management. I had a boss that really cared about me personally and was fair but kind. The company also valued personal development and gave time to learn new skills and build side projects for the company.

Cons

I did not find it meaningful to work on software that was helping big corporations.

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Appian Response
7mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re glad you found your colleagues and management to be supportive and valued opportunities for learning and growth during your time with Appian. We also recognize your input on the types of projects you worked on and continue to explore ways to make our work meaningful for both our employees and the organizations we serve.
1.0
21 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Cool office & perks, unlimited PTO.

Cons

My manager ultimately stabbed me in the back. Being a recruiter here is a trap. No one has your back, your are just an order taker and every stakeholder has unrealistic and unfair expectations. The founders have their hand in the entire recruiting process and it makes it so unbelievably hard. They want top talent but have not top talent pay. They are not flexible on RTO so good luck.

5
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Appian Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your perspective and highlighting our employee perks. We acknowledge your feedback regarding the recruiting process, stakeholder alignment, and our Return-to-Office guidelines. Providing a supportive environment where expectations are clear and fair is something we hold ourselves accountable to every day. While our commitment to an in-person workplace is rooted in building strong collaboration and connection across our teams, we are equally focused on ensuring our leaders have the tools and training necessary to support every department. We appreciate you taking the time to help us look for ways to improve.
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