3 ms·

Historically it’s been unfortunately common. Folks tend to avoid companies with past layoffs as the company has a suboptimal cap table from a down round - or is

by lumost 4y ago

Historically it’s been unfortunately common. Folks tend to avoid companies with past layoffs as the company has a suboptimal cap table from a down round - or is public and only cares about profits. Either option is limiting for a tech worker. So historically successful companies have tried to avoid layoffs like the plague. This has likely lead to some excesses in firms who haven’t adjusted over time.

johannes1234321 4y ago
Won't that the the place to join? - The parts where they hire is where they see the business going, which might be more stable than a random corner in a corporation, which didn't the rif, yet.
- lumost 4y ago
  Maybe, but if it’s a series D or less that means that most of the growth potential/capital has been spent. The company will be focused on profitability which in some cases may never occur at the level required to justify the previous valuation. VC firms don’t want to disclose losses, so they’ll happily keep the company private and barely profitable indefinitely. Mega caps struggle to understand what matters and what doesn’t - the track record for mega caps is that once they start layoffs, they don’t really stop until the company is irrelevant. See IBM.
  - twelve40 4y ago
    Ironically, unlike getting decimated Google and Facebook-style, IBM's stock went up in the past year and they seem to be doing ok (hundred plus years into it). Some parts of IBM are still very relevant, many others are depressing, but it's more like a whole country of different people than a "company" that I can comprehend. Also, curious that their headcount went down from mind-boggling 466k in 2011 to 282k, talk about downsizing (quietly fired 200 thousand people?)
    - johannes1234321 4y ago
      > Also, curious that their headcount went down from mind-boggling 466k in 2011 to 282k, talk about downsizing (quietly fired 200 thousand people?) IBM spun off quite a few businesses, like more parts from Lenovo and what is now Kyndryl.

by lumost 4y ago

johannes1234321 4y ago

Won't that the the place to join? - The parts where they hire is where they see the business going, which might be more stable than a random corner in a corporation, which didn't the rif, yet.

lumost 4y ago
Maybe, but if it’s a series D or less that means that most of the growth potential/capital has been spent. The company will be focused on profitability which in some cases may never occur at the level required to justify the previous valuation. VC firms don’t want to disclose losses, so they’ll happily keep the company private and barely profitable indefinitely. Mega caps struggle to understand what matters and what doesn’t - the track record for mega caps is that once they start layoffs, they don’t really stop until the company is irrelevant. See IBM.
- twelve40 4y ago
  Ironically, unlike getting decimated Google and Facebook-style, IBM's stock went up in the past year and they seem to be doing ok (hundred plus years into it). Some parts of IBM are still very relevant, many others are depressing, but it's more like a whole country of different people than a "company" that I can comprehend. Also, curious that their headcount went down from mind-boggling 466k in 2011 to 282k, talk about downsizing (quietly fired 200 thousand people?)
  - johannes1234321 4y ago
    > Also, curious that their headcount went down from mind-boggling 466k in 2011 to 282k, talk about downsizing (quietly fired 200 thousand people?) IBM spun off quite a few businesses, like more parts from Lenovo and what is now Kyndryl.