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Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

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Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Playing the game according to the current rules seems preferable than playing the game according to rules that may or may not come into existence. Also, they will still be one of the, if not most, profitable businesses in the world even if they lose all the App Store revenue, so it does not seem reasonable to expect more.

Companies of this size need to play the long game, but quarterly OKRs and a beuracratic structure ensure they only ever play the short game. The 30% is great this quarter and next quarter, and every quarter until the quarter where it goes away completely. Keeping it this high is extremely risky behavior, literally taunting for regulation.

This old myth will never die.

If it was true, these short sighted companies would fade away in the long run.

Empirically, top companies stay on top for decades.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#142
post #33

> Apple, meanwhile, was more cautious. Its headcount increased just 20% from 2020 to 2022 At Apples size this is still pretty huge. At least, I thought it was until I saw that Amazon, Meta and Salesforce basically DOUBLED in 2 years. If this data is correct isnt that insane? How can you effectively double orgs of this size over a 2 year period? Its not like a startup with 50 people or something. I guess I was out of…

Working and then getting severance seems better than not working...

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Depending on the job and the person it can take a full year to be fully competent in a job." Some of us never become competent.

Those are probably the ones being let go. That has always been a concern to me about being laid off in one of these massive layoffs efforts. If it is pretty much understood that in these moves the companies are removing dead weight, does that stigma get attached to you as you search for a new job.

If they can't hire competently, why do yoy think they can fire competently?

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#144
post #7

And they failed to hire enough people to bring their AR headset to market which is the other side of the coin.

No, what Apple failed to do was not bother developing a product that can't be successful. It just isn't possible to role that thing into the Apple Lifestyle, no matter how much better it could possibly be than all the other losing attempts.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#145
post #64

Companies over hired during the pandemic because they issued stock to new employees to artificially boost their share price.

That really is not how this works. Issuing shares decreases the share price, rather than increase.

Yeah, you typically increase the share price "artificially" by doing stock buybacks, not by handing out more shares to new employees.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> [Apple is] probably one of the best run companies in the world. I would argue that perhaps Apple's business side of things is arguably well-run. I personally disagree; I think that since Tim Cook has taken over, Apple's business focus is more on short-term gains instead of long-term quality. But I would also strongly argue that their software side of things has been trending downward ( especially in terms of qualit…

>...more on short-term gains instead of long-term quality... Considering that Tim has been CEO for 11 1/2 years now, and things are still going incredibly well for Apple...it seems pretty hard to argue that he is too focused on the short term. (FWIW, I mostly agree about their software quality.)

Speaking of software quality, anyone notice in Apple Music how the categories all start with Apple? Apple Dance music, Apple Country, Apple Pop... like are they trying to make it intentionally difficult for me to use my eyes to find music? I know that I'm using Apple Music... why does every category need to remind me of that while simultaneously impeding my ability to locate things alphabetically? Of course, when I use Siri I can just say "play Dance music" and it works. Hmm.

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies of this size need to play the long game, but quarterly OKRs and a beuracratic structure ensure they only ever play the short game. The 30% is great this quarter and next quarter, and every quarter until the quarter where it goes away completely. Keeping it this high is extremely risky behavior, literally taunting for regulation.

This old myth will never die. If it was true, these short sighted companies would fade away in the long run. Empirically, top companies stay on top for decades.

If facebook qas so well run, it wouldnt need to buy up all the competition to stay relevant, like Whatsapp and instagram.

Once you are that huge and cam but competition, you don't fade away unless you go full-on Lehmon Brothers

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#149
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Growing too fast is damaging to both culture and productivity. This seems to be general sentiment here lately. Do you have any evidence to support this or is purely conjecture?

Not that I have a rigorous source, but I feel we can generally agree the following: New hires take anywhere from 3 months to 8 months or more depending on the position to ramp up During ramp up period, there’s a productivity toll taken on the team via teaching the new hire Thus during this time, productivity is hampered —— For culture, I think it’s a bit more subjective. But if you have a team of 5 who then gets 1 ne…

Okay cool. But, none of this addresses the opportunity cost. What happens if you don't hire fast and you miss revenue opportunities.

As the saying goes "revenue solves everything".

Re: Apple avoids job cuts because it didn’t overhire like Google and Amazon

#150
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To help bring the next paradigm in computing interfaces. I don’t understand why people have forgotten all of the sci-fi movies that have been showing what’s possible

Let me know when someone has solved the "glasshole" creep factor. Clearly Apple is the most capable in shifting consumer sentiment but that's a challenging hurdle.

I've personally solved it by striving to care less about what other people think. I realize that doesn't work for everyone in all circumstances, though.
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