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I'll probably get some flack for this, but this is about as good of a layoff email as he could have sent. * explains the reasons (financials, AI enablement) *
by mooreds 6mo ago
I'll probably get some flack for this, but this is about as good of a layoff email as he could have sent.
* explains the reasons (financials, AI enablement)
* talks about what folks who are leaving get in detail (first) and thanks them
* talks to the folks who are staying
Layoffs are hard, no doubt, and I am not sure he's making the right choice. I see plenty of doubt about some of the actions in other comments that echoes mine. I certainly wouldn't want to have 15 direct reports and also ship production code regularly. But as CEO, it's his job to make these kinds of choices.
The proof is in the pudding as they say. We'll see how Coinbase does with this new orientation in the next year or so and that will determine if this was a wise or foolish move. Is there a flood of talent leaving? Major breaches? Business as usual with better than expected profits?
Time will tell.
- prewett 6mo ago> this is about as good of a layoff email as he could have sent. Except for that tone-deaf part at the end, where right after he talks to the people who "will be leaving" (that is, the people getting kicked out), he says that Coinbase will be stronger and healthier for this. Which makes it hard not to draw the conclusion that the people "leaving" are part of the unhealth. The CEO probably does not even think that, and just wants to reduce costs. But from what was written, the implications are decidecly suboptimal.
- bombcar 6mo agoIt would be amusing but counterproductive to have a layoff email talk about how they’re firing their best and smartest employees.
- securicat 6mo agoSo just leave it out.
- blitzar 6mo agoIf you are really doing a reorg / restructure / reimagination you would likely be losing some good and some bad, some new employees and some people who have been there since day 0 (and everything in between). I think it would be productive to acknowledge that. But the reality is it is a standard MBA driven "bottom x%" cull dressed up with some 4d chess strategy.
- vdnkh 6mo agoThis email was 100% AI generated. I just edited a similar sentence from a claude code doc I'm writing - "we're not just X, we're fundamentally Y" is an obvious tell. I guess he's putting his money where his mouth is
- alexandre_m 6mo agoI think a lot of LLMs are trained on corporate communications, and since companies have been copying each other for years, it’s hard to tell them apart.
- esseph 6mo agoYep, it's 25+ years of corporate communications.
- turtlebits 6mo agoWho cares? If you're getting laid off, the only thing that really matters is the severance package. Its all lip service - either AI generated or hand written.
- lkbm 6mo ago> If you're getting laid off, the only thing that really matters is the severance package. I don't think this is true. Humans typically prefer "thanks for the hard work, here's your severance" to "you suck, here's your severance, loser." Humans like being treated with respect, and words are a big part of that. Money is nice, but it's not the only thing we care about.
- rozap 6mo agoIt's the only thing crypto folks care about, so idk, I think it's fitting.
- strken 6mo agoThe difference between the "thanks" email and the "loser" email is that the second one is intentionally disrespectful. I'm not convinced a polite but AI-written email hits the same note. At the very least it's unintentionally disrespectful, which isn't a direct challenge. Your boss doesn't care enough to write an email by hand, but also doesn't care enough to burn bridges and insult you.
- giancarlostoro 6mo agoI assume blaming AI is a way to soften the blow even if its not really a reason, it sounds hip and attractive to investors who want to hear that sort of thing.
- duskdozer 6mo agoOf course it is. That's the reason it's getting pushed so hard. Their end game ideal would be to get rid of all the developers.
- smugglerFlynn 6mo ago“Welcome to layoffemailreviews.com - your daily source of best and most honest layoff email reviews in the industry. Is there a flood of talent leaving after this one? Major breaches? Only time will tell. Buckle up, and don’t forget your pudding!”
- martin82 6mo agoAll these emails are written by AI nowadays and therefore they all sound he same. This is not a grand achievement or a sign of a great CEO.