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Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

blog.dropbox.com

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Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#901

Post by johnnyanmac »

randomdata wrote: post #470
siliconc0w wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a libertarian in most things but I still don't like layoffs from profitable companies. Like it's probably not good for our society that people have to up end their life every few years and probably move to find a new job. Both my parents stayed in the same job for their careers and it meant they could stay in the same place, have kids, build ties to the community, etc. Seems important if you want to not die out a…

> Like it's probably not good for our society that people have to up end their life every few years and probably move to find a new job. The thing is, Dropbox is done (as in feature complete). Like when the construction of a building completes, many people are "laid off" because they aren’t needed anymore. Yeah, you need to keep some people around for things like maintaining the building, but not to the scale of the…

>he thing is, Dropbox is done (as in feature complete)

Dropbox is "done" but Dropbox didn't employe 2700 people just to work on dropbox.

They toyed around with other services, weren't as gamebreaking as dropbox, and in hard times (not necessarily for their business) they deided to just abandon those other experients or products. This isn't some "the job is done" scenario, it's "we're hunkering down for the storm that we pretend isn't happening out loud" scenario and people are still falling for the idea that "the economy is soaring". It's disgusting.

>It is "good" that the excess labour is freed up to go work on the next "building".

sadly there is no "next building" in these times. When everyone is "feature complete", you just have a purge, not a new opportunity.

>Software will undoubtedly go that way eventually.

given the 3rd wave of attempting to outsourcce large software out, and the AI bubble, I don't think companies are ever going to truly appreciate proper mature software. Just the bare minimum to pretend the machine is running until the next CEO deals with the fire.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#902

Post by johnnyanmac »

onion2k wrote: post #448
sk11001 wrote: post #378

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Steve Jobs was right - Dropbox is a feature, not a product.

A feature of what ? Surely Jobs didn't expect a feature of Windows, OSX, Android, Linux, and ChromeOS to all seamlessly interact with one another. I don't doubt that Jobs might have seen Dropbox as a feature that Apple could have implemented across the Apple ecosystem, but that's a pretty limited view of where the value of Dropbox lies.

Why is iCloud different? For the Apple ecosystem, interaction with Mac/iPhone/AppleTV is all that matters. Which is why I don't subscribe to the garden. But it's a reasonable perspective of Jobs that doesn't conflict with this statement.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#903

Post by johnnyanmac »

talldayo wrote: post #426
kraig911 wrote: post #183

Dropbox my one critique is can you please make it affordable again. I just can't justify the cost as there are cheaper services out there. I don't care about PDF signing etc. I fear OneDrive/Google Drive are eating you lunch because it's a hard sell to be competitive against them price wise.

Funny how Hacker News spent the past 15 years laughing at anyone questioning the viability of Dropbox as a business, but then after two years in a down market half the site is begging them to be cheap again. What's the matter? You like the sound of that crusty, slow Linux NAS that this site has derided for years?

>You like the sound of that crusty, slow Linux NAS that this site has derided for years?

Honestly, it's a lot more enjoyable than I expected. Internet enabled, easily expandable (my setup is 5TB), can quickly setup a plex server for media, and can easily up/download any files needed from anywhere I have connection. And I feel I only scrathed the surface of potential. One of the more useful investments I made this decade.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#904

Post by johnnyanmac »

ghaff wrote: post #771
jedberg wrote: post #765

> Impacted employees will be eligible to keep company devices (phones, tablets, laptops, and peripherals) for personal use. It's not often you see this. Netflix used to do this if your equipment wasn't brand new, and with any phone[1]. And the very first startup I worked for let me buy my laptop, desktop, monitor, and cell phone for $50. But you don't see it too often. [1] There was a "joke" at Netflix that if your m…

At a former employer I (voluntarily) left. I ended up spending a good couple hours driving my 7-year old laptop which I rarely used to a FedEx dropoff and I'm sure it was promptly recycles. But I wanted make sure all the loose ends were tied up.

on the opposite side, I had some nearby management literally come to my house 30 minutes after my layoff to collect my equipement. I didn't even have time to process the layoff; I had to disconnect my entire setup, lug it downstairs, and have it ready to lug into someone's truck faster than I could order a pizza.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#905

Post by johnnyanmac »

7thpower wrote: post #355
golly_ned wrote: post #172

This is a great severance plan. 1. 4 months pay + 1 week per year of tenure. 2. Receive Q4 vests. 3. Upcoming approved leaves paid in cash. 4. Year-end bonuses paid. 5. Keep company devices.

It is a great deal. The core demographic of HN has been very fortunate and does not understand what the norm across industries is.

The "core" demographic of HN probably sees this as standard, if they were ever laid off to begin with. The commenters at the very least seem to be (or claim to be) on a very high end of tech that doesn't realize that not all US layoffs give you 3 months severace standard.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#906

Post by johnnyanmac »

onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #203
insane_dreamer wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know what's better than a great severance plan? Keeping your job.

Not necessarily. If you're actually good at your job, you typically end up with an even better job: https://hbr.org/2018/10/research-when-getting-fired-is-good-...

Seeing the article dating 2018 told me all I needed to know about how out of touch it is with the current market.

I wouldn't wish for you to get laid off to understand thee current circus, but I'd urge you to at least spend maybe an hour in some of the "Who wants to be hired" threads to understand the scale of the impact, and how even HN workers can be struggling.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#907

Post by johnnyanmac »

gcr wrote: post #237
golly_ned wrote: post #172

This is a great severance plan. 1. 4 months pay + 1 week per year of tenure. 2. Receive Q4 vests. 3. Upcoming approved leaves paid in cash. 4. Year-end bonuses paid. 5. Keep company devices.

You can’t be serious. This package sucks specifically because of the healthcare. Industry standard is to offer 18 months of COBRA, not 6. Job searches frequently take way longer than that. COBRA is a huge deal for departing employees. My single largest expense is health insurance for my partner and I, more so than even rent.

>Industry standard is to offer 18 months of COBRA, not 6. Job searches frequently take way longer than that.

job searches taking 6+ months is exactly why this whole process is broken. I I could get quick rejections and considerations, being laid off wouldn't even be that bad.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#908

Post by johnnyanmac »

FredPret wrote: post #231
yellow_lead wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno. It may take 1-2 months to prepare for Leetcode style interviews, and this can be pretty mentally exhausting. Every time you fail to solve a leetcode question, it feeds your imposter syndrome, which is probably even worse due to getting fired.

If leetcode wasn't hard enough to make a good programmer fail now and then, there would be no point to it.

If companies just accepted good programmers and were frank with themselves that they are not going to find rockstar 100x programmers for half the market rate, Leetcode would be acceptable.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#909

Post by johnnyanmac »

pembrook wrote: post #409
iaw wrote: post #382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think your tone aligns with the community guidelines[1]. Please consider not being snarky and sarcastic but actually responding to the merit of what people say here. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

As a fellow tech worker, I genuinely believe all the things I mentioned are upsetting. It's happened to me before! I realized though that I was probably going to be okay, and what I actually needed was some perspective. Sometimes the contrast of "sarcasm" is the only way to shake you out of your bubble and give you that perspective.

>I realized though that I was probably going to be okay

I thought so too... that was 13 months ago.

I still am okay, but only by pure blind luck. And okay in a "rice and beans diet" way. The actual interview gauntlets are worse than my first job search.

And yes, luck = preparation x opportunity. But I was literally cold called by a founder. My experience spoke for itself, but it only helped me tread water instead of sink into the abyss. Sure didn't work the other hundreds of times I kept searching.

>Sometimes the contrast of "sarcasm" is the only way to shake you out of your bubble and give you that perspective.

Again, the guidelines

>Be kind. Don't be snarky. Converse curiously; don't cross-examine. Edit out swipes.

Assumptions are horrible on the internet because it only enrages those who do not fit your strawman. I did everything "right" and I end up laid off twice, draining all my savings and a bit of my stock, and being gaslighted for over a year when I could grab multiple offers in 3-4 months the last few job hunts.

I work in games, I'm not making 500k salaries and was well prepared for layoffs. but I was doing very well for myself. So it's tiring hearing people deride my decade of experience with "well maybe you weren't actually a good worker". I'm definitely not a 10x-er, never have been. But it's backwards hat I have more experience now and am desired less for my experience.

It's just bad times. The sooner we can accept that, the easier it'll be to come together and weather the storm. But with layoffs it seems like all the elitism comes out instead.

Re: Dropbox announces 20% global workforce reduction

#910

Post by johnnyanmac »

reverius42 wrote: post #829
harimau777 wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering how horrible the job market is right now, four months of pay may not go very far.

I've heard of folks with 10+ years of experience not finding work in 9 months or more.

Hello, I'm one of those. Well, 9 years but close!

It really is a circus out there.

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