Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer • Hacker News Board

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#21

Post by jokethrowaway » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:00 AM UTC

So whoever is good enough to land a job in this crappy market got a sweet payday and the moat will stay in the company. What a brilliant move!

I think these people really overestimate how much people give a shit about their company and what they are doing. Automattic is a sweet remote first shop which pays well - albeit I've heard you have to drink plenty of BS in day to day job.

Attacking WP Engine and preventing them to access OSS (which is not even OSS if you can ban people you don't like) was moronic enough, but this tops that.

I wonder who the hell advises these people - or maybe they're rich enough they just don't listen to anyone.

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#22

Post by coalface » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:00 AM UTC

I'm surprised more didn't take the offer. Maybe they have a better package of shares in the company that's worth the wait? Otherwise it seems like a great offer to take even if you've enjoyed working there and support Matt and his public meltdowns.

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#23

Post by Maro » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:01 AM UTC

8.4% or 159 employees is a lot of people, this will be long-remember at this company.

On the other hand, most companies easily have at least 20% headcount overhead, so it'll be okay.

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#24

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:02 AM UTC

arromatic wrote: post #18

I am a bit out of the loop does any one have a summary of what is happening with automattic and wpengine ?

[deleted]

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#25

Post by coalface » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:03 AM UTC

kreetx wrote: post #13

Looks like the 2021 situation at 37signals.

That was peak tech idiocy. If I remember correctly nearly half the company took the severance package? Generous of them to offer all that free money, but a crazy business decision.

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#26

Post by senadir » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:04 AM UTC

Plenty of people who took the offer were on the fence already or looking to switch companies anyway, it was a good motivator for them.

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#27

Post by ItCouldBeWorse » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:05 AM UTC

jokethrowaway wrote: post #21

So whoever is good enough to land a job in this crappy market got a sweet payday and the moat will stay in the company. What a brilliant move! I think these people really overestimate how much people give a shit about their company and what they are doing. Automattic is a sweet remote first shop which pays well - albeit I've heard you have to drink plenty of BS in day to day job. Attacking WP Engine and preventing th…

Its everyones freedom to build a parallel open-source eco-system, that cooperations can not legally leech on.

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#28

Post by coalface » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:07 AM UTC

throwaway346434 wrote: post #16

appendix-rock wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Ah yes, this chap is tanking his company into the ground for Reasons! Like feelings! No one in the entire history of the world has been on a coke bender and made bad life choices!

If you're rich enough or have enough of a cult following, every bad decision is really the work of a genius playing four-dimensional chess.

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#29

Post by chx » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:07 AM UTC

So now we know the lawyers on both sides.

To recap, in the lawsuit post, someone said about the law firm WP Engine got:

> Quinn Emanuel is one of the premier (and most expensive) litigation firms in the US. Partners in their litigation department run $2000/hour or more. Associates cost almost $1000/hour.

And I noted the team is lead by Rachel Kassabian who was lead counsel for Google which in Perfect 10 v Amazon (originally it was against Google) resulted in thumbnail of copyright images in search results being fair use.

Automattic chose Neal Katyal. His latest accomplishment was trying to defend Johnson & Johnson 's dicey "Texas Two-Step" and lost while billing $2,465 an hour.

A hell lot of money will be spent on this case, that's for sure.

Re: Some Automattic employees accept severance package offer

#30

Post by senadir » Fri, Oct 04, 2024, 9:07 AM UTC

coalface wrote: post #22

I'm surprised more didn't take the offer. Maybe they have a better package of shares in the company that's worth the wait? Otherwise it seems like a great offer to take even if you've enjoyed working there and support Matt and his public meltdowns.

Automattic is a fully remote company, getting jobs in APAC, Africa, and europe is tricky, not a lot are going to throw that away and hunt for a job for 6 months.