4 ms·

Care to weigh in about what you reckon happened? Surely the company didn't suddenly lose its need of the Python ecosystem?

zem 3y ago
i reckon we simply got offshored, since they're now building a whole new python team in munich, though i don't know whether for cost reasons or to expand the languages presence in the munich office or both.
- CydeWeys 3y ago
  Why would they lay off the existing team first, rather than spin up the new team, have the old team train the new team, and give old team members a chance to move countries if they wanted?
  - zem 3y ago
    i honestly don't know, except perhaps to say "this is what google is now". your "rather than" is definitely how it used to be done in the past.
  - bdd8f1df777b 3y ago
    I can only speculate: some directors/vps got headcount reduction goals (reduce eng cost by XXX with deadline at XXX), and they couldn't meet those goals if the layoff is to be delayed until the new team is fully operational.
    - mihai_maruseac 3y ago
      This. There was a sudden push to reduce costs and people with decision power tried to make sure their teams won't get affected.
- joezydeco 3y ago
  Gateway to cheap developers in Eastern Europe, Poland, Ukraine, etc
  - dabber21 3y ago
    aren't all european countries cheaper than the USA in terms of salary, including Germany?
    - joezydeco 3y ago
      They are, but Germany has pesky expensive things like unions, employee contracts, and benefits. Keep heading east and it gets an order of magnitude cheaper than Germany.
  - Attrecomet 3y ago
    I would have expected countries like Poland to have a mature enough IT ecosystem that Google could have just moved there directly if they wanted. Why stop over at one of Europe's most expensive places to get talent if that was to goal?
    - zenlikethat 3y ago
      because it's easier to get Polish, Czech, Ukranian engineers to move to Munich than Dutch, UK, German etc. to move to eastern europe I assume

zem 3y ago

i reckon we simply got offshored, since they're now building a whole new python team in munich, though i don't know whether for cost reasons or to expand the languages presence in the munich office or both.

CydeWeys 3y ago
Why would they lay off the existing team first, rather than spin up the new team, have the old team train the new team, and give old team members a chance to move countries if they wanted?
- zem 3y ago
  i honestly don't know, except perhaps to say "this is what google is now". your "rather than" is definitely how it used to be done in the past.
- bdd8f1df777b 3y ago
  I can only speculate: some directors/vps got headcount reduction goals (reduce eng cost by XXX with deadline at XXX), and they couldn't meet those goals if the layoff is to be delayed until the new team is fully operational.
  - mihai_maruseac 3y ago
    This. There was a sudden push to reduce costs and people with decision power tried to make sure their teams won't get affected.
joezydeco 3y ago
Gateway to cheap developers in Eastern Europe, Poland, Ukraine, etc
- dabber21 3y ago
  aren't all european countries cheaper than the USA in terms of salary, including Germany?
  - joezydeco 3y ago
    They are, but Germany has pesky expensive things like unions, employee contracts, and benefits. Keep heading east and it gets an order of magnitude cheaper than Germany.
- Attrecomet 3y ago
  I would have expected countries like Poland to have a mature enough IT ecosystem that Google could have just moved there directly if they wanted. Why stop over at one of Europe's most expensive places to get talent if that was to goal?
  - zenlikethat 3y ago
    because it's easier to get Polish, Czech, Ukranian engineers to move to Munich than Dutch, UK, German etc. to move to eastern europe I assume