I think that's a solid strategy. You may have some luck being more open, depending on the company. A company that had recent layoffs might be more understanding

I think that's a solid strategy. You may have some luck being more open, depending on the company. A company that had recent layoffs might be more understanding of a layoff, and that layoffs have nothing to do with your own abilities. Better to just not bring it up! I was laid off a few jobs ago, and I experimented in my most recent job search with explaining the business impact, how I missed on the signals, and what I did to avoid being in that situation again. It went OK, probably didn't hurt or help.