False-Fix1470's journey

I recently found myself in a dilemma regarding my job situation. As a software engineer with about 4 years of experience, I currently work remotely for a large company where I enjoy a good work-life balance and receive positive performance reviews. However, I’ve been feeling undercompensated compared to what I might earn elsewhere. To explore my options, I started a part-time contract trial with a smaller company that could potentially lead to a full-time role. The technology they use is intriguing, and the engineers seem skilled, which could provide a great learning opportunity. I suspect the pay would be better, but we haven't discussed the full-time salary yet. However, my experience during this trial has raised some red flags. Initially, the trial was supposed to be around 10 hours a week, but I’ve found myself working closer to 20 hours while still handling my regular job. I've been receiving frequent requests for updates and feedback, with an emphasis on increasing my ticket throughput. It seems they expect me to take on more complex tasks to consider the trial successful, which is concerning given my limited hours and the onboarding process. Moreover, I overheard a discussion among the company's established engineers about productivity metrics. They track individual output and share velocity graphs, which some engineers find anxiety-inducing, as these metrics don't account for the complexity of the work. This has made me question whether the pressure I’m feeling is just part of the company culture. Now, I'm contemplating whether I even want to pursue the full-time position. I’m not against hard work or accountability, but I already have a job where I feel comfortable and don’t have to constantly justify my productivity. I’m considering wrapping up my current work professionally and declining the full-time offer rather than pushing myself to impress a company that I’m increasingly skeptical about. I have a few questions for anyone who might have insights: 1. Are frequent discussions about productivity normal in smaller software companies, or should I see this as a red flag? 2. What kind of pay increase would you need to leave a comfortable job for a role with this kind of pressure? 3. Would you push yourself to finish the trial strong to secure an offer, or would you stick to your assigned tasks and decide you’ve learned enough? I appreciate any perspectives on this situation!