Mass Layoffs in Tech: I Survived Them for 25 Years—Until I Didn’t

Mass layoffs are sweeping through the tech industry again.

Over the last week alone, tens of thousands of engineers, designers, and product leaders have been laid off across Big Tech. If you work in tech, you’ve probably felt the anxiety, the dread, and the constant question: Am I next? In this video, I share a deeply personal story spanning 25 years in tech, from surviving the 2008 Great Recession, through merger-driven layoffs in the 2010s, to the brutal post-COVID Big Tech layoffs starting in 2023.

I recount the very first mass layoff I witnessed as a mid-level software developer, watching an incredible mentor lose her job overnight, and experiencing firsthand the fear, survivor guilt, and existential shock that follows. You’ll hear what layoffs used to feel like, when leadership showed visible shame, and how today’s layoffs are framed as “efficiency” and “AI optimization,” even as strong engineers are cut without warning. Eventually, after surviving countless rounds, my own Big Tech layoff finally arrived.

But this video isn’t just a story, it’s a playbook. Asian Dad Energy

If you’re navigating layoffs, worried about job security, or trying to future-proof your tech career, this video is for you. This is about coping, surviving, and staying human in an industry that often forgets the people behind the code.

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