Solid take on Layoffs
This is one of the developers who made TypeScript 10x faster. And he just got laid off by Microsoft.
There will be countless stories like his - of engineers who went above and beyond, shipped game-changing features, improved dev experience for millions…..and still found themselves out of a job.
This week, Microsoft laid off around 6,000 employees, roughly 3% of its global workforce. Not because they underperformed. Not because they didn’t deliver.
But because AI just got “good enough” to justify replacing thousands overnight.
The takeaway? A bitter reminder that no matter how hard you work or how much impact you create, companies will always do what’s best for the business.
So let’s do what’s best for us too. Build your network. Keep your options open. Protect your peace. Because loyalty is admirable, but so is self-preservation.
No one else is going to look out for your career like you will.
PS: Copied from X (not written by me)
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I sincerely doubt AI can replace an engineer of this calibre. Or deliver a 10x speedup on an existing project anytime soon.
I think this is some more of McKinsey consulation to trim the high-paid software engineers.
When MS labs started trimming 10 years ago, they let go Leslie Lamport who'd won the turing award less than 5 years prior to that.
I don't believe that's the case. It's not just about the individual; it's about the return on investment for each employee. Although he may have developed a super-fast TypeScript compilation, there is a possibility that his costs were too high and the return on his work was not sufficient to justify his salary. Initially, expectations were high, but now the justification for his position at that pay scale has diminished, which is likely why he was let go.
Earn enough to buy a plot in a decent Tier2 near a University/Coachings.
Build a 5 floor building on it, each floor has 4-5 furnished AC rooms. You live on the top floor with your family.
Rent out each room at 10-15k/month.
That's 1.6-2.4lakh/month.
It grows yearly at 6-7% mostly.
Full security. No layoffs, no boss, no politics.
I'm 27, have already started this process in collaboration with my father.
There are many hassles on this also... Timely rent... Maintenance.. Types of tenants etc...
Layoffs are never rational. You might be a an absolute killer in terms of performance, but ultimately you’re still an employee_id in their database. Everyone is replaceable in a large corporate setup. Which is why one should constantly stay in touch with the market/give interviews - if your company is going to give you a middle finger, you should be ready to show them two.
Got laid off today. Hadn't even completed one year at MS. Have been working tirelessly for past few months to meet build goals. Feels terrible.