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Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

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Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#101

Post by zmmmmm »

flashgordon wrote: post #58

So one thing I was curious about is those who were laying off (at least the big 4) have xyz billions in the bank. If there is truly fat then it can be trimmed by either flattening the org, cutting down pay, changing work hours etc (nobody works just 40 hrs anymore). So the layoffs seem clearly for paying homage to wall st. What would happen if one of these CEOs grew a pair and held off and directed the fat to muscle?…

yep when you have billions in the bank, firing good staff is tantamount to an admission either that you have literally no good ideas for how to grow the business or that you have a 100% short term view. In either case it ought to be a humliating admission for the leadership of a tech company to make to its investors.

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#102

Post by bmitc »

brucethemoose2 wrote: post #11

I would not invest in Meta's metaverse future. It feels like Windows Mobile. Meta has the early start, money, captive audience and enthusiasm, but they don't have the hardware/software edge (that Apple coincidentally also has this time around) to really make the idea work. The headsets are not going to revolutionize much running Facebook games on budget Qualcomm SoCs, and Facebook cant buy an Unreal Engine or an M2 P…

Microsoft's failure in mobile was more of a business decision failure than a technology failure, to my understanding. Despite having products ready to launch, both Gates and Ballmer doubled down on the traditional Windows model. For example:

https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/the-inside-story-of-...

There are some other good articles I remember reading about Pioneer Studios that I am unable to find right now. I think Microsoft could have absolutely dominated the mobile space, but they really sat on their laurels for far too long. I think they had the talent and ability to handle the technology development. They just didn't want to because of Gates and Ballmer.

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#103

Post by seunosewa »

ano88888 wrote: post #77
htag wrote: post #4

I imagine Meta has a harder time recruiting then their peer companies, because of their reputation and the moral hazard. I wonder how much investment it will take them to get staff levels back to where they are now. It really feels like they are peaking as a company.

if you compare Meta to wall street firms and a bunch of other rent-seeking firms, Mata is actually causing much less harm. Somehow those other worse companies get a free pass.

Their CEOs being less socially awkward than the Meta CEO probably has a lot to do with that, sadly.

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#104

Post by zmmmmm »

ehnto wrote: post #80
brucethemoose2 wrote: post #11

I would not invest in Meta's metaverse future. It feels like Windows Mobile. Meta has the early start, money, captive audience and enthusiasm, but they don't have the hardware/software edge (that Apple coincidentally also has this time around) to really make the idea work. The headsets are not going to revolutionize much running Facebook games on budget Qualcomm SoCs, and Facebook cant buy an Unreal Engine or an M2 P…

They don't have the enthusiasm I don't think, and I believe that is where it falls flat. The technology is not currently something that everyone wants and definitely not something everyone needs. VR is not good at general computing yet, and the form factor and way you engage with it means people won't be using it in the same way they use TVs, game consoles or smart phones. Mass adoption takes apealing to the lowest c…

I think the tipping point is closer than you may realise. There has been material progress in form factors in the last year or so and we are not nearly done with the improvements that are on the radar.

Once we hit a certain point with the form factor, quite a wide range of use cases will become a no-brainer (for example, sitting on the bus with it).

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#105

Post by bmitc »

twelve40 wrote: post #56
hackernewds wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The layoffs are nowhere near the level of even appearing in a histogram against the hiring that overwhelmed 2021/22. Where this doomering comes from must be the plain human temptation to glorify misery.

Both this hiring-like-there-is-no-tomorrow and, a few short months later, layoffs "because the economy has changed" indicate lack of any sanity in business planning. Sure, most of these people will probably eventually find other jobs, but the randomness of these ups and downs in presumably mature companies is pretty disturbing.

My more pessimistic take is that this style of business planning is actually planned, in that companies knew what they were doing was risky but knew they could just layoff people, as they have readily done. It is a plain as day showcase of companies treating employees as their greatest costs and liabilities rather than assets.

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#106

Post by blackwateragent »

seunosewa wrote: post #103
ano88888 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

if you compare Meta to wall street firms and a bunch of other rent-seeking firms, Mata is actually causing much less harm. Somehow those other worse companies get a free pass.

Their CEOs being less socially awkward than the Meta CEO probably has a lot to do with that, sadly.

> Their CEOs being less socially awkward

Could you clarify for someone out of the loop; I always thought Zuck was portrayed as socially awkward.

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#107

Post by hellweaver666 »

tjpnz wrote: post #97
brucethemoose2 wrote: post #11

I would not invest in Meta's metaverse future. It feels like Windows Mobile. Meta has the early start, money, captive audience and enthusiasm, but they don't have the hardware/software edge (that Apple coincidentally also has this time around) to really make the idea work. The headsets are not going to revolutionize much running Facebook games on budget Qualcomm SoCs, and Facebook cant buy an Unreal Engine or an M2 P…

Could you imagine your Facebook using parents and grandparents donning a VR headset and regularly interacting with the metaverse? I couldn't, not unless the technology improved dramatically to the point where the headset more closely resembled glasses than yuppie techno goggles. I can't see that happening anytime soon, which is a problem if they're trying to build something with mainstream appeal.

I'm 41 and grew up with access to technology every day of my life. I won't use VR for more than a few rounds of beatsaber. The only way I would use VR for more than shits and giggles is if it was integrated into my standard glasses with very little additional extra bulk/weight. I don't see that happening any time soon. I see AR having a much more useful and tangible impact on our lives. VR is a toy.

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#108

Post by bsaul »

threatripper wrote: post #82
brucethemoose2 wrote: post #11

I would not invest in Meta's metaverse future. It feels like Windows Mobile. Meta has the early start, money, captive audience and enthusiasm, but they don't have the hardware/software edge (that Apple coincidentally also has this time around) to really make the idea work. The headsets are not going to revolutionize much running Facebook games on budget Qualcomm SoCs, and Facebook cant buy an Unreal Engine or an M2 P…

Is the Metaverse something that wants to be done and Meta is its birth helper OR is Meta inventing the Metaverse because it needs something immensely big for its business strategy? My feeling is that Meta is rather running away from a failing business and less running towards a new green meadow.

i really feel like metaverse is only a dream to people with extreme social anxiety. Which may represent a large share of software developers, but only a minority of the general population.

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#109

Post by MattPalmer1086 »

moomoo11 wrote: post #18
abledon wrote: post #15

Engineering Managers will also begin to code again [1] [1] https://twitter.com/TitterTakeover/status/162873730347973836...

This whole management heavy culture needs to F off. 9/10 people who wants to be a manager are awful as software engineers and they know this is the only way they can stay in the game. Out of those who do become engineering managers it seems all they do is talk a bunch of nonsense and add tremendous levels of roadblocks because they suck at understanding the actual technical problems and I’ll be honest. They’re usuall…

I am so tired of hearing devs complain about managers and anyone else who doesn't think that everything revolves around the dev.

There are a lot of poor, mediocre or bad devs as well as bad managers. The solution to these problems is not to arbitrarily get rid of most of the practitioners.

There is frequently a lack of humility and self awareness in dev culture I'm afraid to say. It was one of the things that made me leave the profession.

Re: Another Round of Layoffs at Meta

#110

Post by gretch »

threatripper wrote: post #82
brucethemoose2 wrote: post #11

I would not invest in Meta's metaverse future. It feels like Windows Mobile. Meta has the early start, money, captive audience and enthusiasm, but they don't have the hardware/software edge (that Apple coincidentally also has this time around) to really make the idea work. The headsets are not going to revolutionize much running Facebook games on budget Qualcomm SoCs, and Facebook cant buy an Unreal Engine or an M2 P…

Is the Metaverse something that wants to be done and Meta is its birth helper OR is Meta inventing the Metaverse because it needs something immensely big for its business strategy? My feeling is that Meta is rather running away from a failing business and less running towards a new green meadow.

If you watch kids interact with technology today, you’ll see that there’s already several thriving metaverses in the form of Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft. These services no longer function as games in the traditional sense where there’s an objective you complete to win or lose. I mean yes there’s some of that in there still, but you’ll also see they mainly function as digital hangout places where avatars just goof and dance or attend a virtual Travis Scott concert.

To me these are proofs of concept that meta verse is a real thing. The open questions are if these experiences will eventually transition to VR, or if traditional form factors are immersive enough; and if Facebook can make a more compelling experience than the existing services.

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