This was, indeed, very cringe.<p>While his company is small, I think at a larger tech startup’s scale there might be some things you could do to avoid being “forced” to lay people off:<p>- Avoid taking VC money. This will force you to be disciplined and responsible even when everyone is bullish, while also avoiding having to do layoffs/pay cuts/freezes/etc. during a bear market when profits dip. As long as the company remains viable, you can ride out the storm and not have to listen to investors and “advisors”.<p>- Somewhat related, don’t go on hiring sprees. If you poach someone from another company because your idea is one “rockstar” away from taking off (it always is, isn’t it?), that employee may no longer be able to rejoin the old company, and when laid off may resent having being convinced to join your company. Hire responsibly and sustainably, otherwise people’s lives will inevitably get ruined.<p>- Always set an example by not having extravagant salaries, bonuses, and perks for yourself and your leadership team.<p>- If you’re a business owner, dedicate a decent percentage of profits that flows back to employees. They are taking a risk by working for a startup, so they should get a share of the upside, as well.<p>- If money does become tight, “taking responsibility” means freezing/cutting your own salary first, then those of other executives, and so on. You won’t die if you have to forego the Benz for an Accord, but employees with a beat-up Civic will definitely feel the pain if you start with them.<p>- If worse comes to worst and you can’t avoid layoffs, doing all of the above will reduce resentment. Doing the layoffs in a humane, empathetic manner and offering counseling and job placement help is the right thing to do, and can leave a lasting impression on your former employees and the general public.