Maybe some of those engineers really were superfluous. Maybe some were contributing to the bottom line in ways you don't understand or appreciate. I've seen p

Maybe some of those engineers really were superfluous. Maybe some were contributing to the bottom line in ways you don't understand or appreciate. I've seen plenty of engineers take infrastructure for granted, discount the value of research ("speculating on new products" is important), or even dismiss support as a cost with no revenue upside. Most often, as those people gain experience they also gain a broader view, allowing them to distinguish between complementary roles and truly superfluous personnel.