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Meta lays off 11,000 people

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Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#571

The world runs on certain types of software. I doesn't run on social media, or video streaming, or "AI/ML", or search. So it doesn't actually run on FAANG companies. It is no surprise they are shedding workers when the free money runs out. But if you are willing to work on "boring software" that provides actual economic value - logistics, HR/Payroll, or really anything people actually pay to use because it boosts the…

> provides actual economic value

> HR

Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#572
It's wild to me that a CEO can simultaneously take responsibility for the decision to over hire, and also suffer none of the financial consequences. In fact, META stock is up 7% on this news, so Zuck has made money on this decision.

I think that's a major inefficiency in modern corporations. Executives are the last to face consequences when they make a bad decision.

Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#573
post #455

"We’ve shifted more of our resources onto a smaller number of high priority growth areas [like] our long-term vision for the metaverse" Imagine laying off eleven thousand people so you can keep clinging to the disintegrating corpse of the metaverse.

Well, they missed the boat being a platform on mobile or desktop. So, now they have Apple/Google dictating terms to them. They are really desperate to own the next big thing. Whether that'll be VR, who knows.

This was Zuck’s biggest mistake. The money spent on Metaverse would have been better spent just making a Facebook phone.

Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#574

Facebook ("Meta") made $46.7 Billion in Profit in 2021. They have $42 Billion in cash. If the average engineer is paid $150k then these 11k people would cost the company 150,000 x 11,000 = 1,650,000,000 ($1.6 Billion/year) Mark Zuckerberg could _easily_ afford to keep these people employed and focus their efforts towards improving the safety of the platform e.g: stopping Human Trafficking, Drug Dealing and Child Abus…

If Mark Zuckerberg had any shame at all, he wouldn’t be around with Meta and all the companies it owns/runs. But he has good company among many other CEOs who’d rather cut the workforce and earn more bonuses for themselves.

Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#575

> I got this wrong, and I take responsibility for that. As always with these things, I wonder what taking responsibility actually means in practice. Businesses usually try to find ways to correct for major failures in decision making. In the case of Zuck, given his ownership, does anything actually happen or change? I'm sure his net worth has been reduced by changes to Meta's share price, but he was a multi-billionai…

> I wonder what taking responsibility actually means in practice. "Some of you May Die, But it's a Sacrifice I am Willing to Make" - Lord Farquaad

Best quote.

Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#576
post #518
post #455

"We’ve shifted more of our resources onto a smaller number of high priority growth areas [like] our long-term vision for the metaverse" Imagine laying off eleven thousand people so you can keep clinging to the disintegrating corpse of the metaverse.

I have this (maybe wrong) opinion that Meta can't be the one to bring an actual VR/Metaverse project because they are too "on the radar" of medias. Adoption of new technologies is always done by more fringe members and then picked up by critical mass. You can't successfully build a metaverse without accepting the kind of weird deviant stuff that goes on in VRChat and Meta can't accept the weird deviant stuff because…

> Adoption of new technologies is always done by more fringe members and then picked up by critical mass.

What examples are you thinking of? Did this happen with the PC or smartphone?

Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#578
I totally would have been part of this layoff if I’d responded to any of the many, many FB recruiters who have contacted me in the last 18 months.

Why didn’t I reply? Several reasons, but importantly because if you can’t say anything nice sometimes it’s best not to say anything at all.

Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#579
post #455

"We’ve shifted more of our resources onto a smaller number of high priority growth areas [like] our long-term vision for the metaverse" Imagine laying off eleven thousand people so you can keep clinging to the disintegrating corpse of the metaverse.

HN and Reddit always get it wrong about the future, the Metaverse is still an on-going under development ecosystem and Facebook bad image gives it a negative perspective.

Re: Meta lays off 11,000 people

#580

I recently left my well paying job in a startup to pursue my hobbies for a few months. Now I am looking for a job again. I wonder how will I find a job with so many Meta and Twitter engineers flooding the market :/ PS: I have only worked with startups including a YC startup.

We're hiring! Reach out to me via email, it's in my profile.
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