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Comment by FirmwareBurner | Hacker News Reader

Would the CEO resigning or getting laid off, make your situation any better if you were one of those laid off?

Feels like a weird hill to die on, and more like a crabs in the bucket mentality that doesn't change anything in the grand scheme of things. In the end I'm still unemployed and whatever happens to my ex-CEO doesn't change my situation one bit.

As I grew older and experienced my share of layoffs, I stopped caring about what happens to those responsible for me getting laid off, as my energy is better spent on improving my situation and my life instead of ruminating how Krama vengeance would make me feel better.

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> Would the CEO resigning or getting laid off, make your situation any better if you were one of those laid off?

No, of course not. But he is the leader, and he guided the company to a point where certain areas became "over-invested or under-performing." In other words, he didn’t do a good job. So, it should be him stepping down. Nobody ever said being a CEO would be easy.

>and he guided the company to a point where certain areas became "over-invested or under-performing."

And now he's fixing it by cutting those under-performing areas.

>So, it should be him stepping down.

Why? How would that help the company get better? Do you think competent CEOs are like cogs that you can pick a new one from the stack of LinkedIn applications whenever the old one makes a mistake, and then slot him in the existing machine and everything will magically work better?

>Nobody ever said being a CEO would be easy.

Exactly. That's why you don't rush to replace the devil you know with the devil you don't.

>That's why you don't rush to replace the devil you know with the devil you don't.

It's the same devil with the same playbook. They all know each other at that level.

And yes, they are doing that in some sectors (and some CEO's want that). Less in tech, but I suspect more shakeups once the AI bubble ends.

>It's the same devil with the same playbook.

Why don't you start your own company so you can be a model angelic CEO then? Why bother working for these "evil" guys? Or work for a local mom and pop shop instead of a publicly traded company?

Working on it. But that's a dismissive answer from someone who's never actually ran a business.

>work for a local mom and pop shop instead of a publicly traded company?

I'm open to it. They literally aren't hiring tho. They get the most impacted in a downturn, so I get it.

I ran a business which is why I know how hard it is and why I prefer working for someone else and accepting the trade-offs. You're the delusional one here wanting to have your cake and eat it too.

That's a really positive attitude, to not fixate on retribution -- kudos to you!

I'd like to point out that there are other possible outcomes, like (say) the CEO and entire C-suite cutting their salary to $1 for a year (it's not like this will render any of them homeless).

IMHO, that would actually constitute "taking full responsibility", as opposed to parroting words that don't connect to the reality of the situation.

>like (say) the CEO and entire C-suite cutting their salary to $1 for a year

What's the point of being CEO then? Have the stress of running a company while working for free? Who would ever want to do that?

>What's the point of being CEO then?

I don't know. As you said, it's a waste of energy to wonder about other people and their endeavors. Better to focus on me.

And I need the money. CEOs don't. Feels odd to go from "don't spend your energy thinking about other rich people" and then go "but rich people 'want' money" when someone makes a suggestion.

>Have the stress of running a company while working for free? Who would ever want to do that?

Again, don't know. But I suspect that most people at a CEO level are not just in it for money. There's easier, less stressful ways for millionaire to accrue money.

>I don't know. [...] And I need the money. CEOs don't.

That's some silly delulu shit right there. Imma end this conversation with you right here since you're not arguing in good faith as you've already made up your mind, so it's a waste of my energy and time to continue this any further.

>Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something.

Please don't break the rules if you want to stay a part of this community.

I'm just passing by, but to me your comments were way less productive and interesting in this whole thread.

So just like your comment?

What did you expect productive about this whole conversation?

Did you expect to see the magic formula/solution to people getting laid off from well paying tech companies and somehow I got in the way of that?

We're all just chatting here speaking our minds which has the real world practival equivalent of shouting into the void. There's no real value to be had here.

It wouldn't, but it'd reassure me I wasn't some expendable pawn and they are preteding to be responsible. A company trying to cut back on the highest paid workers who will still survive shows a captain willing to drown with their boat.

but it doesn't work like that in the western world.

>As I grew older and experienced my share of layoffs, I stopped caring about what happens to those responsible for me getting laid off, as my energy is better spent on improving my situation and my life instead of ruminating how Krama vengeance would make me feel better.

The tree remembers. If I have nothing else it's my pride for my craft. I'll probably never have some revenge arc, but I sure will take it personally the next time that company tries to make deals with me later in my career.

Call it cultural; I don't like being treated as a slave. Respect your fellow man, regardless of background or walk of life.

>but I sure will take it personally the next time that company tries to make deals with me later in my career.

You don't do deals with companies who fire people? You wouldn't be working for any company in the world then. IIRC in communism they never fired people, maybe that system will serve you better. Oh wait...

>I don't like being treated as a slave.

"Sent from my iPhone sipping my latte in California"

I wish you all spoiled rich western workers would stop using the slave word so easily whenever an employer does something to you, as it dilutes the meaning and the severity of the word. Similar with the over misuse of the words woke and nazi.

Please read up on what slavery actually meant and the lives of actual slaves. Working in tech in the richest country in the world, and being fired by Dropbox isn't even remotely in the same ball-planet as slavery.

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