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Changes at YC

ycombinator.com

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Re: Changes at YC

#91

Post by MattGaiser »

Kerrick wrote: post #74
voz_ wrote: post #46

> Seventeen of our teammates are impacted today. Never allow corporations to speak in passive, weak, blameless terms. Use direct, honest, language, and force them to do the same. "Seventeen of our teammates are impacted today." - > "We laid off 17 employees today" "I was impacted by layoffs" -> "Google laid me off" etc

Maybe they weren’t fired? The way the post was worded has me wondering if they’ll be retrained and have their roles changed to fit YC’s new needs.

They wouldn't announce it if that were the case. I am curious whether it would have been announced at all without all the heightened economic fear.

Re: Changes at YC

#92

Post by jeron »

comte7092 wrote: post #67
concordDance wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does this accomplish anything other than increasing resentment?

Begs the question, what do you think companies gain by using such passive language?

when you first read it, did you feel better or worse for the employees when they wrote impacted vs "laid off"

Re: Changes at YC

#93

Post by earlystagethrow »

Understandable when there's a new CEO that some things will get cut. Bad time to be in growth vc.

Not unexpected from vc circles, frankly, with rumors that larger LPs weren't impressed by Tan and interest was lukewarm.

Re: Changes at YC

#94

Post by blobbers »

Can YC post some info on their fund that they're winding down? Would be nice to put that out in the public.

Any YC team members care to comment?

Re: Changes at YC

#95

Post by loeg »

voz_ wrote: post #46

> Seventeen of our teammates are impacted today. Never allow corporations to speak in passive, weak, blameless terms. Use direct, honest, language, and force them to do the same. "Seventeen of our teammates are impacted today." - > "We laid off 17 employees today" "I was impacted by layoffs" -> "Google laid me off" etc

"Exonerative tense," "mistakes were made," etc.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/past_exonerative

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistakes_were_made

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/07/14/...

Re: Changes at YC

#96

Post by layer8 »

TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #16
fnordpiglet wrote: post #6

Sorry to everyone who lost their jobs. It can feel like the end of the world and your worth. But I’ve seen throughout my career people land somewhere better. Someone once wise told me the most important saying in the world is “this too shall pass,” which applies to all things, good and bad.

“Everything that arises passes away.”

Like clouds in the sky.

Re: Changes at YC

#97

Post by naet »

Kerrick wrote: post #74
voz_ wrote: post #46

> Seventeen of our teammates are impacted today. Never allow corporations to speak in passive, weak, blameless terms. Use direct, honest, language, and force them to do the same. "Seventeen of our teammates are impacted today." - > "We laid off 17 employees today" "I was impacted by layoffs" -> "Google laid me off" etc

Maybe they weren’t fired? The way the post was worded has me wondering if they’ll be retrained and have their roles changed to fit YC’s new needs.

They were 100% laid off. The wording is intentional and standard for the industry.

You aren't "impacted" by changing roles or retraining, you're impacted by losing your job.

"we want to acknowledge and express our appreciation for their substantial contributions" translates to "these people will no longer be contributing as they are laid off effective immediately".

Re: Changes at YC

#99

Post by adfm »

margalabargala wrote: post #62
bradleyjg wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Laid off is itself a less harsh version of fired.

They're not quite the same, those two terms have taken on different meanings. "Fired" has come to mean "for cause", and "laid off" has come to mean "not for cause".

For some, "laid off" has the same connotation as furlough.

Re: Changes at YC

#100

Post by rvnx »

bink wrote: post #69
bradleyjg wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Laid off is itself a less harsh version of fired.

Fired -> Let go -> Laid off -> Impacted I'll be curious to see what comes next.

"Let go" is the worst, it implies "I let you go" -> "I allow you to leave" which is the ultimate humiliation when you are getting fired
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