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Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

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Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#131

Post by tinyhouse »

brightball wrote: post #96
mattbrewsbytes wrote: post #18

What a contrast in leadership when you compare the way Twitter is doing this (rumor is right before bonus/stock vesting and cold impersonal email) and how Stripe is conducting their layoffs (empathy, 14 weeks severance, bonus payouts, etc.) Which company is going to have an easier time hiring after the dust settles and they have a growth stage again?

If I remember correctly, the rumor about layoffs ahead of vesting said he was going to do it before Nov 1st. That part at least, seems to have just been a rumor.

It was a rumor. I think it didn't happen because of the WARN act. Even if happened before Nov 1 he would still need to pay the vest.

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#132

Post by [deleted] »

somedude895 wrote: post #115
taurath wrote: post #89

Since apparently nobody else in the thread has any empathy for those who've lost their jobs, future access to healthcare (in the US and less civilized countries), and financial security, I guess I'll be the first: I feel bad for people who are laid off by the machinations of billionaires. I wish we lived in a society where it wasn't optimal to act like raving lunatics will tear down every bit of security you have at…

It's okay to feel bad for people who lose their jobs. But business cycles are important for a healthy economy. Unsustainable ventures need to die or be pruned at some point if you want to generate lasting prosperity. Whether this specific instance actually serves to create a more productive and more dynamic company remains to be seen, and it sucks for the people affected, but if they're skilled and useful – as every…

[deleted]

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#133

Post by nilsleep »

taurath wrote: post #89

Since apparently nobody else in the thread has any empathy for those who've lost their jobs, future access to healthcare (in the US and less civilized countries), and financial security, I guess I'll be the first: I feel bad for people who are laid off by the machinations of billionaires. I wish we lived in a society where it wasn't optimal to act like raving lunatics will tear down every bit of security you have at…

"less civilized countries" the arrogance, and you are the one asking for empathy?

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#134

Post by infecto »

rob74 wrote: post #13

> “To help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data, our offices will be temporarily closed and all badge access will be suspended,” the email reads. “If you are in an office or on your way to an office, please return home.” Welcome to the dystopian future... I find it a bit galling how companies can force you into home office nowadays if it suits them (you want to avoid your un…

I am assuming this is a hint at how large the layoff will be. If are getting rid of 5-10% of your workforce, no issue with using the office but if you are axing some number greater...lets say 25%, it sounds like a security nightmare.

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#135

Post by swores »

exitb wrote: post #67

It's interesting how the firing process presented in the movie Up in the Air (2009) was supposed be inhumane and insulting. Well, look where we are now.

Either you or I, and I suspect you, have misunderstood the film's intention if you think that we the viewer are meant to agree with any of the options used by Clooney's character's company, that they were the humane option.

Humane would be telling the person who works for you that you can no longer employ them, not hiring some stranger to come and tell them.

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#136

Post by hankerito »

somedude895 wrote: post #115
taurath wrote: post #89

Since apparently nobody else in the thread has any empathy for those who've lost their jobs, future access to healthcare (in the US and less civilized countries), and financial security, I guess I'll be the first: I feel bad for people who are laid off by the machinations of billionaires. I wish we lived in a society where it wasn't optimal to act like raving lunatics will tear down every bit of security you have at…

It's okay to feel bad for people who lose their jobs. But business cycles are important for a healthy economy. Unsustainable ventures need to die or be pruned at some point if you want to generate lasting prosperity. Whether this specific instance actually serves to create a more productive and more dynamic company remains to be seen, and it sucks for the people affected, but if they're skilled and useful – as every…

As a european though, it is absolutely crazy to see you can do this on a day by day basis. Here you would have at least 1 month, more likely 3 month, prior notice to just being kicked out and having your accounts closed. You would also have to state a business reason for people who are employed as fixed staff. This gives people time to react to these kinds of things.

Edit: Sorry, this refers to a comment further below: Also, comparing this to the pandemic is kinda crazy, isn't it? It's one thing to have a global scale event effecting the lives of billions and another of just buying a company for way tooo much because you wanted to make a dumb joke about smoking weed.

America truely is a heartless, dystopian society...

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#137

Post by watwut »

somedude895 wrote: post #115
taurath wrote: post #89

Since apparently nobody else in the thread has any empathy for those who've lost their jobs, future access to healthcare (in the US and less civilized countries), and financial security, I guess I'll be the first: I feel bad for people who are laid off by the machinations of billionaires. I wish we lived in a society where it wasn't optimal to act like raving lunatics will tear down every bit of security you have at…

It's okay to feel bad for people who lose their jobs. But business cycles are important for a healthy economy. Unsustainable ventures need to die or be pruned at some point if you want to generate lasting prosperity. Whether this specific instance actually serves to create a more productive and more dynamic company remains to be seen, and it sucks for the people affected, but if they're skilled and useful – as every…

But in here, the company has deep debt only because of overpriced leveraged buyout. And the layoff have popcorn qualities because they are rage driven. The debt twitter had originally was much smaller. The scale of layoff that had to happen would be much smaller. It is also fair to guess they would be deal with more tact and more fairness then done now (no I dont believe Musk team is able to actually tell bad and good performers apart).

Twitter has some profits last year first time. I am not saying it was perfect company. But the deep deep financial trouble it is in now is because of leveraged buyout motivated by politics (stick it to ennemies) and ego.

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#138

Post by tinyhouse »

Ex-Tweep here. US employees need to really thank the WARN act. Without it everyone would likely be fired on Oct 31 with no severance. Now everyone is kept on the payroll until Jan (NY until Feb!) and then getting one more month of base salary. We'll see what happens with lawsuit if they manage to get their Feb vest and bonus as well. (they deserve the bonus at least prorated to Nov).

BTW, lots of ML people got hit, also some brilliant ones. Cortex org got hit hard. I guess Musk doesn't care about people running experiments in Notebooks on expensive GPUs.

50% layoffs and likely more attrition soon due to mandatory RTO and people who cannot work 996.

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#139

Post by dopidopHN »

taurath wrote: post #89

Since apparently nobody else in the thread has any empathy for those who've lost their jobs, future access to healthcare (in the US and less civilized countries), and financial security, I guess I'll be the first: I feel bad for people who are laid off by the machinations of billionaires. I wish we lived in a society where it wasn't optimal to act like raving lunatics will tear down every bit of security you have at…

In civilized countries, you don’t loose your healthcare when your loose your job. It’s tie to your human status, not to a contract with a random corporation.

Also, civilized societies have come up a long time ago with appropriate social nets that mitigate the hurdle of unemployment.

And our food is vastly superior.

Re: Twitter’s mass layoffs have begun

#140

Post by whywhywhywhy »

threeseed wrote: post #59
bluescrn wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For comparison, SpaceX runs an entire private space program on ~12,000 employees. Near-weekly launches. Rocket development+production. Building+deploying Starlink. (Although that's just a number from a quick googling. Maybe they outsource a lot of manufacturing etc?)

That comparison is however completely irrelevant to Twitter. It may seem to ignorant people that a space program is more advanced than "just a website" but actually running these kind of websites is extremely complex. Especially when you're needing to compete with Facebook and Google at serving ads in a relevant and effective way. It is really interesting reading through their infrastructure challenges alone: https:/…

> at serving ads in a relevant and effective way.

Anyone ever seen a relevant Twitter ad?

Just seems very dumb location based placement. Nowhere near the level of IG.

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