731–740 of 1001 posts
Most SaaS companies got a huge pandemic bump and overhired in 2021 and 2022. I think many if not most that haven't cut 20% will be cutting 20% or more in 2024.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think that people get really upset about layoffs like they're an example of poor planning, but in reality it's all a calculated risk. Laying off employees isn't a very negative thing from the perspective of the corporation. Very few costs are associated with laying off employees. A few months of salary, but that's it. It's an at-will arrangement. I learned in a business class that, mathematically, most companies ac…
> If we want this to change then we need to have our governments have better layoff protections in place, like mandatory severance or notice periods. But then you push companies in the exact opposite direction than you say you want them to go. If it's harder to do layoffs, companies will take less risks that require hiring.
For example, a factory could make more money if it dumped its pollutants into a river rather than paying extra to dispose them properly. That difference in incentives between greater society versus the individual business is why we have the EPA.
Basically, the intention of my last comment was to answer the common question that might be asked of: "Wow, this company laid off so many people, what were they thinking? Maybe they should plan ahead next time?" And the answer to that is usually "yes they planned for this scenario and they're perfectly okay with having a layoff."
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Has it? Nothing in my life except gasoline has gotten any cheaper. Edit: I misread the comment. I am aware of the difference between rates and absolutes.
The other mistake you made was assuming that your personal experience is valid for the economy as a whole.
Post-pandemic, the trend of Corporations raking in higher and higher profits, while needing fewer and fewer staff scares me. The most obvious and likely outcome is it drastically separates the ultra wealthy from middle class. With rise of AI and automation, that trend will likely accelerate. The top 10% hold more than 50% of wealth. It's likely in a few decades, the top 1% will hold more than 50% of the wealth. They…
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> Companies overhired during the pandemic, and now they are trimming that fat Citation needed
The original article >ValueAct’s chief executive, Mason Morfit, said Spotify’s costs had “exploded” and that it was “built for the bubble”
So effectively contractors. Companies shouldn't be allowed to "shed" this much of their workforce in a system like the US's here we have a very poor safety net. They bulked up, built their products and now want to slim down and enjoy their profits at the expense of these sacrificial workers.
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This is completely backwards. They didn't hire "for the sake of hiring" -- they hired specifically to build up their podcasting and audiobook efforts, which were totally new products within the app. Which they thought were essential to staying competitive -- e.g. what if people start moving over to Amazon instead with its Music+Wondery+Audible, or other competitors? Now it's turned out those bets haven't been as succ…
I recently left Spotify for Apple Music, in large part because of this new development path. I don't want podcasts, audiobooks, etc mixed in with my music. I prefer separate apps. I think what bothered me more was the focus on branching into these new paths without any innovation in the music department--I'm sure there was innovation that wasn't visible to me. I'm tired of the same black and green color scheme. I don…
Example:im programming and the concentration music goes towards a victorious crescendo once it works.
Anytime I see layoffs like this, All I hear is "We hired for the sake of hiring when money was cheap and we wanted to signal 'growth', But now reality has set in and we need our employees to serve a purpose beyond simply headcount". In my opinion they did these employees a disservice by hiring them in the first place. We need our companies to act more responsibly regardless of the price of capital. Innovate sure, but…
This is completely backwards. They didn't hire "for the sake of hiring" -- they hired specifically to build up their podcasting and audiobook efforts, which were totally new products within the app. Which they thought were essential to staying competitive -- e.g. what if people start moving over to Amazon instead with its Music+Wondery+Audible, or other competitors? Now it's turned out those bets haven't been as succ…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is completely backwards. They didn't hire "for the sake of hiring" -- they hired specifically to build up their podcasting and audiobook efforts, which were totally new products within the app. Which they thought were essential to staying competitive -- e.g. what if people start moving over to Amazon instead with its Music+Wondery+Audible, or other competitors? Now it's turned out those bets haven't been as succ…
I recently left Spotify for Apple Music, in large part because of this new development path. I don't want podcasts, audiobooks, etc mixed in with my music. I prefer separate apps. I think what bothered me more was the focus on branching into these new paths without any innovation in the music department--I'm sure there was innovation that wasn't visible to me. I'm tired of the same black and green color scheme. I don…