Recent layoffs in tech are unfortunate. And a grim reminder to all of us that:
1. Beyond skills and hard work, your talent is about your context. What may be super-valuable in one context, can be valueless in another. What was a much pampered and in-demand talent till a few months back has overnight become a burden. The people who were let go continue to be as smart and hard working as they were the night before they were asked to go.
2. We need to stop judging someone because they were let go by their previous organisation as much as we need to stop envying people who you think might have the coolest job on the planet. It's all about perception and a lot about luck. Luck can take different turns.
3. Some businesses may seem hot and trending, others may seem dull and boring. But at the end, each of them HAVE to make money. Money has no colors or labels. Beyond the hype, it helps to understand the business model of a company and your own risk/reward alignment with it before signing up for a role with them.
4. The business model of most of the tech companies where people have been impacted was geared towards hyper growth which led to big bets and almost irrational exuberance in hiring and spending in the past years. The bets unfortunately did not work. For every such company, there are hundreds others whose business model is more conservative but predictable. You just need to look around and pick what works for you.
To the impacted people and their families: I know you are smart enough to know that this phase is temporary, you are awesome, and you will bounce back bigger and better.
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