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I feel like the author here is not thinking through the opposite. What happens to the CEO if they plan for the market to stagnate and then it doesn't? Then the

I feel like the author here is not thinking through the opposite. What happens to the CEO if they plan for the market to stagnate and then it doesn't? Then they look like fools as their competitors take market share and then they get replaced. The incentives just aren't designed to plan for decline.

jm20 3y ago
I think you’re right. It’s irresponsible/dangerous for a business not to try to grow as fast as it can, especially in as cutthroat a market as tech can be. Just how the system works, for better or worse. However the “poor CEO gets fired with only a $10MM golden parachute” angle doesn’t play as well with the average reader
lmpdev 3y ago
>The incentives just aren't designed to plan for decline. I wonder how managed printing service companies deal with this I brokered a five year deal earlier this year, and all vendors put a 7% yoy decrease in print volume I wonder what it looks like at the top of these companies like Fujifilm or Ricoh for printing sales people - are they diversifying or trying to converge on a sustainable level of revenue?
- parlortricks 3y ago
  They are moving print to digital
Thorrez 3y ago
Apple hasn't done layoffs.
batmenace 3y ago
Your comment supposes that it has to be extreme -- rapid growth or stagnation. Why do you think a responsible CEO / management team cannot plan for a 'moderate growth' pathway that sees steadier levels of hiring and firing more akin to what the rest of the industry shows? I wonder if for tech companies part of the answer is also that moving people around is an 'easy' way to play with numbers. You go to the market / to your investors and say ''Hey, we've hired 1,000 people over the last 12 months, we must be doing so well [give us money]'', and likewise ''We're gonna lay off 1,000 people soon so we're all good here [give us money]''
- rat9988 3y ago
  Your comment supposes that it has to be extreme -- rapid growth or stagnation. Why do you think a responsible CEO / management team cannot plan for a 'moderate growth' pathway that sees steadier levels of hiring and firing more akin to what the rest of the industry shows? They don't have a crystal ball. They study each possible conjecture, and then try to minimize risk maximize reward. Moderate growth might lead you to be eaten by a rapid growth. It's not a duality rapid growth or stagnation we are talking about. It's the risk of being eaten and left for dead in a competitive space.

jm20 3y ago

I think you’re right. It’s irresponsible/dangerous for a business not to try to grow as fast as it can, especially in as cutthroat a market as tech can be. Just how the system works, for better or worse. However the “poor CEO gets fired with only a $10MM golden parachute” angle doesn’t play as well with the average reader

lmpdev 3y ago

>The incentives just aren't designed to plan for decline. I wonder how managed printing service companies deal with this I brokered a five year deal earlier this year, and all vendors put a 7% yoy decrease in print volume I wonder what it looks like at the top of these companies like Fujifilm or Ricoh for printing sales people - are they diversifying or trying to converge on a sustainable level of revenue?

parlortricks 3y ago
They are moving print to digital

Thorrez 3y ago

Apple hasn't done layoffs.

batmenace 3y ago

Your comment supposes that it has to be extreme -- rapid growth or stagnation. Why do you think a responsible CEO / management team cannot plan for a 'moderate growth' pathway that sees steadier levels of hiring and firing more akin to what the rest of the industry shows? I wonder if for tech companies part of the answer is also that moving people around is an 'easy' way to play with numbers. You go to the market / to your investors and say ''Hey, we've hired 1,000 people over the last 12 months, we must be doing so well [give us money]'', and likewise ''We're gonna lay off 1,000 people soon so we're all good here [give us money]''

rat9988 3y ago
Your comment supposes that it has to be extreme -- rapid growth or stagnation. Why do you think a responsible CEO / management team cannot plan for a 'moderate growth' pathway that sees steadier levels of hiring and firing more akin to what the rest of the industry shows? They don't have a crystal ball. They study each possible conjecture, and then try to minimize risk maximize reward. Moderate growth might lead you to be eaten by a rapid growth. It's not a duality rapid growth or stagnation we are talking about. It's the risk of being eaten and left for dead in a competitive space.