Tell HN: Google-Wide Layoffs
Google is reported to be conducting company-wide layoffs, including an estimated 8–10% cut in its Core Developer organization, which builds internal tools like compilers and IDEs. Commenters debate why layoffs continue despite strong revenue growth and a 50%+ stock price increase, citing investor pressure for higher profits, shifting priorities toward profitable areas like Google Cloud, and a broader tech-sector correction. The conversation also touches on morale, leadership, and what this means for software careers and “everyone can code” narratives amid a crowded job market.
Scope and Targets of Layoffs
- Multiple commenters confirm fresh Google-wide layoffs, including engineers.
- Core Developer organization reportedly hit by ~8–10% cuts.
- Core Developer is described as building internal tooling and infrastructure (compilers, IDEs, monorepo, build/deploy systems).
- Some teams see “massive cuts,” others small “ticky‑tack” reductions; not just whole divisions.
- It’s unclear exactly how performance ratings factor in, as annual reviews weren’t finalized, though some suspect they influenced decisions at higher levels.
Financial Performance vs. Layoffs
- Several note Alphabet stock is up ~50–56% year-over-year and revenue grew 11% YoY, with Google Cloud up 22%.
- Others emphasize net income has declined compared with 2021, and say profit trends and forecasts matter more than revenue.
- Some argue the company is cutting non-profitable areas while still hiring in growing units like Cloud.
- Debate over whether the stock run-up signals strength or a broader “bubble.”
Management, Strategy, and Morale
- Strong criticism of leadership: claims of incompetence, excessive product shutdowns, and harming morale through repeated layoff cycles.
- Counterpoint: some say the CEO’s primary job is pleasing shareholders, not innovation, and the stock performance validates that approach.
- Comparisons made to “old Microsoft” and to Boeing-style short-termism.
Industry and Market Context
- Some see this as part of a longer correction in tech, likely lasting through 2025, driven by higher capital costs and investor pressure for margins.
- Others push back that the overall economy is strong outside tech; blame is placed on Wall Street’s demand for short-term gains.
- Discussion of “too big to fail” dynamics and how Microsoft diversified successfully (Azure, acquisitions) while Google remains dependent on ads.
Talent, Bootcamps, and “Everyone Can Code”
- Many doubt promises that a 9‑month coding course leads to high-paying roles, especially with experienced FAANG engineers now on the market.
- Argument that as coding literacy spreads, average developer wages should fall, and firms may favor “good enough” over “best in field.”
- Skepticism that laid-off Googlers are necessarily “the best”; some say layoffs are often weakly correlated with individual performance.
- Concern that the coding-bootcamp narrative oversold ease of entering the field and misled newcomers.