Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff • Hacker News Board

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#391

Post by bink » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:12 AM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #259

AngeloR wrote: post #169

I think this is just the start for some bad things are patreon... This video of execs at Patreon apparently turning a blind eye to employees calling out patreon users that were selling images of underage children: https://twitter.com/TizzyEnt/status/1315626557688483841?s=20... They also laid off their ENTIRE security team: https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/09/patreon-security-layoffs/

It's not actually that unusual to absorb security into engineering; if engineering is already doing most of software security, and engineering/ops is already handling IT security, then the rest of security might in fact be duplicative of stuff third parties can do just as well. I have no inside knowledge as to whether this was the case at Patreon; no opinions about Patreon whatsoever. But re-orging security into and…

You're right that having security report to engineering is not unusual. It's also not a great idea due to conflicts of interest, but not unusual.

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#392

Post by bagels » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:12 AM UTC

bogomipz wrote: post #323

jrockway wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are probably a large number of HN readers that have weathered the dotcom bust, the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2022 financial crisis. If you were born 1980-ish and you haven't been laid off 3 times, congrats!

>"There are probably a large number of HN readers that have weathered the dotcom bust, the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2022 financial crisis." The "2022 financial crisis"? That's not even a thing. Slowing economic growth and even a recession, should we enter one later this year does not constitute a "financial crisis."

It's going to get worse. Hard to have lived through it when it's not over yet though.

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#393

Post by bagels » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:16 AM UTC

mepiethree wrote: post #325

alecbz wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't most options expire a handful of months after leaving the company?

They extended the option exercise period to 5 years

That is unusual and I wish more companies would just offer that from the start.

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#394

Post by bagels » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:20 AM UTC

COGlory wrote: post #290

BryanBeshore wrote: post #42

Full post from Jack Conte's Instagram post: "Hi everyone - I have some sad news to share: today, Patreon is doing a layoff of about 80 employees, about 17% of our team. This was ultimately my decision, so I wanted you all to hear directly from me about the reasoning. Before I do, I want to say two things: first, today will be painful for many people, and I am deeply sorry to the incredible teammates who will be leavi…

>I take full responsibility for choosing that original path forward, and for the resulting changes today, which will be so difficult for our team. What does "take full responsibility" mean? Is he laying himself off instead of the employees? Is he paying the employees he's laying off out of his pocket? Is he resigning so this doesn't happen again? I'm confused how you can just say "I take full responsibility" without…

It means that he's not blaming someone else, such as the laid off employees, or other employees.

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#395

Post by bagels » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:29 AM UTC

bombcar wrote: post #25

darth_avocado wrote: post #15

What does “taking full responsibility” even mean? Like people lose their livelihood and you can get away with “I take full responsibility”. Taking full responsibility mean taking a pay cut or stepping down or basically taking consequences for yourself first before others have to.

It's a far sight better than some of the "the employees we let go were worse than worthless, likely the spawn of Satan himself" memos you see.

"dumb dolphins"

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#396

Post by bagels » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:31 AM UTC

ruskyhacker wrote: post #334

unity1001 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So basically, they overhired to meet demands during Pandemic Everybody did, even anticipating that the move to online economy would slow down after the pandemic. But nobody predicted the Ukraine war, sanctions, and the economic effect those sanctions made back in the West.

Lol at that last statement.

What's funny about it?

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#397

Post by icelancer » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:35 AM UTC

stoicjumbotron wrote: post #376

RheingoldRiver wrote: post #356

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a creator it sucks too. I manage a small patreon page for a Discord bot and every time I edit our page I have to relearn how to use the interface. Every time I want to make a post I forget how to...make a post? How in god's name is it possible to make an interface so bad that one has to remember how to make a post? It's completely unintuitive. This is not something that should be difficult lol. (The part I forget…

Apart from Ko-fi is there any good alternative?

Lots of YouTubers are flocking to SubscribeStar. I haven't pledged anything on there, just 2-3 Patreons, but I've noticed it in several channels I follow.

https://www.subscribestar.com/

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#398

Post by icelancer » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:37 AM UTC

xani_ wrote: post #355

honkdaddy wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps you're unfamiliar with the expression, but usually when English speakers say they "take full responsibility" for a tragedy or unfortunate occurrence, they mean from a moral and blame-based standpoint, it's rarely related to the finances of those affected. The laid off employees are the ones ultimately worse off by the outcome, that goes without saying, what you're missing is that this is different from being…

That's what they think they are saying. What it actually means is "It is my mistake that I admit is mine, you get fucked, I keep my chair and take zero actual consequences for it"

Someone has to be the boss and call the shots. Employees know that they could be fired/laid off when they take jobs. Part of life in the big city.

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#399

Post by uuidv4 » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:46 AM UTC

Does anyone know if they have freezed hiring in general? I'm literally in an interview loop process for senior engineer with them right now. Lmao.

Re: Patreon Lays off 17% of Staff

#400

Post by bogomipz » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 4:56 AM UTC

bagels wrote: post #392

bogomipz wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>"There are probably a large number of HN readers that have weathered the dotcom bust, the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2022 financial crisis." The "2022 financial crisis"? That's not even a thing. Slowing economic growth and even a recession, should we enter one later this year does not constitute a "financial crisis."

It's going to get worse. Hard to have lived through it when it's not over yet though.

Again, a recession is not at all the same thing as a financial crisis. This is the thing I was commenting on. There is no consensus that we are even in one. Recessions are always backward looking.

It's pretty spectacular though that not only have been able to declare that were in one but you are also able to comment with confidence on how bad it's going to be be.