The job cuts had nothing to do with keeping the company profitable. In fact, the company was significantly less profitable in Q1 than it could have been due to

The job cuts had nothing to do with keeping the company profitable. In fact, the company was significantly less profitable in Q1 than it could have been due to not yet realizing any savings but additionally having billions in charges from the layoffs. It's possible that Google becomes a significantly more profitable company as a result of this, but it seems equally plausible that in three months they'll go on another hiring binge. That's what weak leadership like Sundar's gets you: no vision and no consistency.