Tech layoffs aren’t really about AI. From the inside, the warning signs were there long before ChatGPT. I spent seven years at Amazon, including five as a senior manager. I watched the company slowly change in ways most people outside never see. This video isn’t a rant. It’s a personal, insider view of how big tech actually works, and why layoffs often feel sudden to some, but predictable to others who were paying attention. If you work in tech and are wondering whether to wait things out or move early, I hope this perspective is helpful. Good luck. #techlayoffs #techcareers #amazon
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Sadly, productive and loyal employees often get let go first. And those who bullshit all day, kiss ass, and shift blames get to stay longer.
"I wasn't worth the money that the company was paying me for and also the company wasn't worth the life i was giving it so i left. when times change, we can either wait and then be forced to react or jump early and try to catch the wave, i chose to jump". so wise and inspiring!
I’m so fed up of this world, this Chasing money and all. Life was so much better before now. It’s a shame
Someone did a financial analysis of Amazon, and the layoffs were caused by AI, but it wasn't because AI was replacing jobs but because Amazon needed to free up cash flow to pay for their huge spending on AI.
It’s when you realize that in your org. people spend more time preparing what to say, instead of what to do.
Office version of 10 people at the construction site and two actually doing work.
Imagine running a company where the only way to get promoted is with stories about working, not the work itself. What could go wrong?
She is 100% correct. I am an Amazon vendor and they absolutely do not care about customers and partners. When she say bugs never gets fixed its true. We have issues with Amazon for years and its all a blame game round table.
A common problem in most U.S. coporations. It is part of American culture -- - talk is valued more than action. I have seen many excellent but a bit spcially awkward engineers got letting go, yet those only know packaging and presenting others' results stay.
All those developers but Amazon's UI/UX still sucks so bad
I understand what you say, because Cisco(I used to work for) is worse. I remember there was a software bug which I can fix it in 5 minutes. However, we had a meeting with 10 managers(Project manager, product manager, people manager, QA manager...).
2:00 - "Revenue and profit don't care about your org charts" - nicely put.
Thank you all for sharing your stories and perspectives in the comments and for being so open. I'm both humbled and deeply grateful for this community. Thank you!
Amazon is well known to be a sweat shop in the tech industry.
Former Amazonian here too. I worked in research teams, I think higher VPs don’t have vision. And mid management is crowded with bluffers, and short term goals.
I miss shopping at the mall. Sure it's convenient to have everything delivered, but the mall was a fun shopping experience, mixing with people, going to restaurants etc. and you could actually see and feel the quality of the things you were buying. Now most of the things I get are cheaply made and the clothes unwearable.
I joined Apple from a "lowly" European tech company, and that's how I feel as well: a lot of "visibility" games, empty talks about "impact", blame shifting, claiming but not taking ownership, etc. This happens when a company becomes over-fed with easy money from market dominance/investment frenzies, and people become complacent and only care about their bonuses, since there is little an individual can do to affect the continual dominance of a tech giant. In contrast, my former company, though with 100k+ employees, felt much leaner and "direct to impact". The key reason was the company was constantly fighting for survival, and it was inked in our blood that every line of code or delay to resolve a ticket will result in loss of revenue. I learned much more in a short time in the former "lowly" company than my endless meetings and "fight for impact/visibility" political moves in a big giant.
Just like when the company tells you to have "passion", it is really not about passion. It is about people working more hours for them free of charge, so that "they" have more money to buy a yacht or go to some island
So basically unchecked hiring, then overloaded bureaucracy, now when they decided to be lean, they can’t even properly pick and end up firing the good ones
That 200 day average for a bug fix is the ultimate red flag. It's wild how "customer obsession" turned into "politics obsession" so quickly. Thanks for the transparency.