Embed Notice

@cferdinandi I got called back (on a contract basis).

The rest of this is risky for me to say, but I'll do it anyway:

Layoffs are still the heaviest hammer that can be deployed, strongly recommended by boards, and conventionally the sole option that leadership take. It's rare to see furloughs in SV tech (more in the NGO + civic tech space, but even then, it's usually closer to federal roles).

Other options like job sharing, pay cuts, four-day work week at four-day pay, cutting fringe benefits, voluntary layoffs (I remember one person doing this, my manager's manager IIRC), furloughs, etc weren't discussed (folks were concerned about stability). Staff tends to be the most expensive part of a business (but again, hard to tell without numbers and what part of staffing contributes to burn).A tight reminder that our severance was contingent on a partial gag (Section 11–13 of our agreements held that, with the "reopener" of Section 14).

What's done now is done, and it's left the mark it had. I still wish the board showed their face in these conversations. And I'm looking to see how executives aim to lean into other options, versus running to the one that looks like a quick fix.

@anildash @emma